A Princesses’ journey
by SunflowerWielder
Summary: So, picture this. My best friends have vanished, the stars are going out, this strange girl has turned up and told me it's MY turn to save the worlds. Oh yeah, and there's this strange group of people trying to kill me. Who said being a princess was easy?
1. Prolouge

**Hey dudes and dudettes! Well, after a long period of writers block, I finally came up with this story.**

**WARNING: This is a feminist story! Meaning, the girls of Kingdom Hearts are taking the main roles in here, and Riku and Sora are taking more of a back-seat.**

**Enjoy!**

"Block it!"

CLANG!

"Block it!"

CLANG!

"Block it!"

"Sora, I've already-"

"Block it!"

CLANG!

Kairi scowled at Sora over the wooden sword she was practising with.

"Sora, I already know how to block. We've been working on it for three days. If you can learn it in THREE MINUTES, then I can learn it in THREE DAYS!"

"I'm just checking." Sora nodded wisely. "You have to walk before you can run."

"Shame you never put that into practise when we were little." Kairi teased. "You were always falling over your own feet. And not much has changed." Sora looked slightly put out, which caused Kairi's brain to go into overdrive.

_Oh Papou. Did I hurt his feelings? Did I offend him? What's he upset about?_

"Are you okay Sora?" Sora was quiet for a moment, his head bent low down so Kairi couldn't see his face. "Sora?" The boy shot his head up, and gave Kairi a massive grin.

"Gotcha! And Riku get out of the bush."

"Oh man." The silver haired teen's head popped out from a bush behind Kairi. "All I do are nice things, and I get treated rudely."

"How is spying on us nice?" Sora asked as Kairi rolled her eyes.

They'd been back on the islands for about a month now, and Kairi had been training on the inlet, hard, ever since she got back. She wanted to be able to fight, in case anything happened again.

"I'm just making sure you don't get up to mischief." Riku smirked from the bush, before ducking to avoid the flying wooden swords aimed in his direction. "Both of you can't aim to save your lives!"

"It would help if you stopped ducking!"

"Sora," Riku shook his head, and walked over to the red head and keyblader. "As much as you are both my best friends, I will not just stand there, and willingly get hit in the face with a sword by you two. Okay?"

"But then how will our aim get better?" Kairi teased gently, as was the way with the trio.

"Practise on each other." Riku shrugged. "Anywoo, the sun's going down."

"That blows." Sora frowned, throwing his retrieved sword on the ground. "DAMM THE SUN!!"

"Oh shut up Sora." Riku shook his head. "Run home, before your mum sends her voodoo dolls after us."

And Riku wasn't joking.

* * *

Sora

Sora raced through the front door, and ran into his mother.

"Sorry mum." Lulu crossed her arms and looked at her son with a raised eyebrow.

"Cutting it a bit fine? I was about to send a cactuar after you."

"Sorry mum. I was training Kairi, and we didn't realise it was getting late." Sora shrugged. Lulu had, and some may say rightly so, been quite protective of Sora since he came back from his journey.

"It would be a lot easier to keep track of you if you used a mobile phone."

"I had one, but it kept breaking." Sora shrugged. "Can I go now?" Lulu managed to roll her eyes and laugh at the same time.

"Fine. Dinner's in half an hour."

Sora ran up the stairs two at a time, narrowly avoiding his pet cat, Rosie. Racing into his room, he shook his head furiously.

"Okay, you can shut up now Roxas."

_I'm not doing anything._

"You're humming."

_Yeah, sorry. It's just I've got this tune stuck in my head._

"No need to stick it in mine!"

* * *

Riku

Riku tip-toed into his house, stepping over the several children toys that lay scattered around the room.

_Quietly… quietly…_

SQUEEK!! A toy hissed as Riku stepped on it.

_Dammit._

"RIKU! IS THAT YOU!!" His mother yelled from the kitchen.

"Yea." He yelled back half-heartedly, as Ashe stuck her head around the door.

"Good. Have you seen Kaia?"

"No, since I only just came in the door. She's probably in the airing cupboard again." Riku looked at his mum. Ashe looked back. "Fine, I'll go get her!"

Riku had a bit of a shock, coming home after his year long absence. Ashe, his mum, was pregnant when he left (but he didn't know it) and he came home to a little sister.

Called Kaia. Who liked airing cupboards.

"Kaia! Kaia!" Riku called, shoving his head into the airing cupboard.

"Hi Biku!" Kaia yelled at the top of her larger-than-average lungs. "C'me in here! Is niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice and warmy."

"I won't fit in there Kaia." Riku informed him little sister, who stared at him with turquoise eyes. A small pause, followed her long black hair vanishing inside the depths of the airing cupboard. A small toy pig, a rock C.D. that belonged to Riku, the T.V. remote controller, a fork, a teddy bear, and a bar of soap flew out of the cupboard.

"Room now!"

_Oh, Kingdom Hearts save me!_

"Okay, I'll come in." Riku took a deep breath, and climbed into the airing cupboard. He crawled into the boiler, and swore under his breath.

"What you say Biku?" Asked a curious Kaia, staring at Riku.

"Uh… Nothing." Riku nodded. "Why have you got a lump of hair in here?"

"For luck." Riku blinked at his sister. "Banana?"

"Ur… No. Thanks." Next thing Riku knew, his sister gave him a hug, which slowly crushed the air out of his lungs. She was strong for a little kid.

"Lobe you Biku."

_Aww… At least you 'Lobe' me, even if you can't speak properly yet._

"Biku?"

"Yes?"

"I poo my pants, oh dear."

* * *

Kairi

"_Though a thousand words  
Have never been spoken  
They'll fly to you  
Crossing over the time and distance holding you  
Suspended on silver wings_

And a thousand words  
One thousand confessions  
Will cradle you  
Making all of the pain you feel seem far away  
They'll hold you forever"

Kairi shoved her head in the door where her mum was working on a new song.

"Hi Lenne. I'm back."

"Hi sweetie." Lenne looked up and gave a faint smile. "How did the training go?"

"Um…" Kairi paused, swaying back and forward in the doorway. "Not so bad."

"Let me guess. Sora didn't teach you properly?" Lenne asked, hitting a few more keys on the piano.

"No, no, he taught me well…" Kairi shrugged. "It's nothing. I'll let you carry on."

"If you're sure. But Kairi…" Kairi swivelled around to face her mum. "He just wants to protect you. Remember that, Okay?"

"Okay. I will." Kairi nodded, before running up the stairs two at a time. Clicking the light on in her room, she walked over to her desk, and pulled out her diary.

_21 July_

_Today was a good enough day. Riku was in a bit of an odd mood… He arrived with Coco Pops in his hair. Apparently, Kaia doesn't like them much._

_I'm still very confused about Sora. He's very good at teaching me… But I'm only learning defensive moves and spells. I suppose Lenne was right. He's just trying to protect me…_

_But I don't want to be protected._

The World That Never Was:

A figure leant against Memory's Skyscraper, staring up at the sky.

"_Sparkling angel I believe  
You were my savoir in my time of need.  
Blinded by faith I couldn't hear  
All the whispers, the warnings so clear.  
I see the angels,  
I'll lead them to your door.  
There's no escape now,  
No mercy no more.  
No remorse cause I still remember  
_

_The smile when you tore me apart.  
You took my heart,  
Deceived me right from the start.  
You showed me dreams,  
I wished they'd turn into real.  
You broke a promise and made me realize.  
It was all just a lie."  
_

The figure snorted, amused by their own lyrics. Glancing up at the heart shaped moon, the small smile turned into a frown. For Kingdom Hearts was not golden coloured… It was pale blue.

"… I guess the time is near."

* * *

**That's the longest first chapter I've ever written, I think. Anyway, Lulu is of course Lulu from Final Fantasy X (Hats off to StarToursTraveller for the idea of her being Sora's mum). Ashe is from Final Fantasy XII, and Lenne is from Final Fantasy X-2. I'm not so sure about Ashe for Riku's mum, so if you have a better idea, please let me know.**

**By the way, Lenne is Kairi's adoptive mother, which is why Kairi refers to her by her first name.**

**Kaia is just a random OC I made for the purpose, that I wanted Riku to have a little sister.**

**The two songs in this are '1000 words' from Final Fantasy X-2, and 'Angels' by Within Temptation.**

**Now, I'm going on my hols tomorrow (for just over two weeks) So I won't be updating then. However, I will still be working on this story.**

**Please review! I promise, it all kicks off in the next chapter.**

* * *


	2. The Beginning of a Journey

****

SW: Hola! I'm here in my living room, with Kairi, Namine, Sora, Riku, Yuffie, Cloud and Aerith.

**Everyone: (Waves)**

**SW: So, here it is! The (not so) hotly awaited 2nd chapter of A Princesses Journey. **

Riku sat on the Papou tree, and glanced at Sora.

"Question."

"Shoot." Sora muttered, staring out at the water.

"Why aren't you teaching Kairi OFFENSIVE moves, as well as defensive moves?" Sora blinked a few times.

"Um… I'm not sure if I really want to teach her that." It was Riku's turn to blink in surprise a few times.

"Why?"

"Dunno. It just doesn't feel right…"

"Well, do you want me to train her then?"

"Huh?" Sora stared at Riku. "Why?" Riku did a face palm and sighed.

"Because she does have to learn. Whether or not you like it, she does need to learn to fight. So. You teach her defensive, and I'll teach her offensive. Deal?"

"Ack. Fine." Sora paused, before doing a double take of Riku. "You have sugar puffs in your hair."

"Kaia doesn't like those either."

"Oh." There was a pause, except for the sound of the sea.

"They're coming to pick us up today, aren't they?"

"Think so." Sora nodded, pulling the piece of folded, wrinkled paper and read the letter out.

_Dear Sora, Riku and Kairi_

_Welp, thanks for all your efforts, thanks to you the worlds are safe again. Well, that's what we thought… Something doesn't add up though. I'd like to meet up and have a chat with you guys._

_I'll send a Gummi ship to pick you up on the 20th August._

"Today's the 20th." Riku muttered. "What are they worried about?"

"I don't know." Sora shrugged. "Maybe the heartless or something…"

"Hey!" Kairi ran over the bridge to the two boys. "Found you at last. Are you ready?"

"Ye- Holy (BEEP)" Riku stated as his eyes shot up to the sky, where a massive red and yellow Gummi ship entered the atmosphere of Destiny Island.

"Wh- T- Why-?" Sora managed to squawk out. "Did they pick THAT model?"

"Wow, they sure know how to be subtle." Kairi muttered, as the Gummi ship landed.

"YOU NEARLY CRASHED IT YOU PALOOKA!!"

"Gawrsh, sorry Donald." Came the squawk and the guffaw that belonged to Donald and Goofy. Next thing, the door flung open, and a duck and dog flung themselves on top of Sora.

"SOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

"DONALD!! GOOFY!!"

"Why are they yelling when they're right next to each other?" Riku muttered, earning a shrug from Kairi. Lots of yelling, and a bit of falling over later, the trio was ready to leave.

"BIKU!!" Kaia raced up behind Riku and hugged his legs.

"Hey!" Riku looked at his little sister. "Why are you here?"

"You leaving today?" Kaia asked, giving Riku a long look.

"Yeah. But I'll be back soon. Promise." Kaia looked at Riku, before nodding.

"'kay. Here!" Kaia held out a pebble. "For the luck."

"Right." Riku nodded. "Be good. And don't put butter on Tess again."

"She laikes it."

"I know she likes it, she was licking it off herself." Riku sighed. "Just don't go near the fridge."

"Okay dokee." Riku raced onto the gummi ship after Sora and Kairi. Kaia watched as the engines revved up, and the ship flew out of the atmosphere.

* * *

"So, your parents were really okay with you leaving so soon after you came back?" Goofy asked, as Sora avoided a nearby meteor.

"Depends by your definition of OK…" He muttered, as Kairi took up the narrative.

"Lenne was a bit upset, but she said that you have to do what you have to do."

"Mum was a bit grouchy, but gave in after three days… She never could hold a grudge." Riku explained. "Dad just shrugged… Don't know WHAT he's thinking half the time… And Kaia kicked me hard on the shin, and that was that."

"You were lucky." Sora stated, steering towards Disney Castle. "Mum sent five cacturs and three moogles after me. They chased me twice around the house!"

"Oh, so THAT'S what you were screaming about." Riku snorted.

"… Shut up Riku." Sora said after a silence. "You had nightmares for years about the," Sora put on a high pitched voice "'The creepy pom-pom that chases me during the nigh-' OW!! RIKU, DON'T HIT ME WHEN I'M DRIVING!!"

"Look out for Atlantica!"

"What?" Sora saw he was on a collision course for the watery world. Everyone screamed.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  
HHHHHHHHHH!!"

"RIKU YOU BAKA!!"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO NEARLY DROVE INTO ATLANTICA!!"

"SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU!! NOW!!"

"LOOK OUT FOR PORT ROYAL!!"

"WHAT?!"

"SEE!! NOW BECAUSE YOU GUYS YELLED AT EACH OTHER SO MUCH, **_WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!_**

_Later…_

Chip and Dale stopped working at an old gummi ship they had brought and were restoring, as an alert came up.

Gummi Ship entering World Atmosphere. Type: Highwind V.6

"Oh boy!" Chip leapt up and down excitedly, the same as Dale.

"It's Sora, Donald and Goofy!"

"They're back!"

The Gummi Ship landed, and the group spilled out, with Donald and Kairi yelling at Sora and Riku, and Goofy looking confused.

"You could have killed us!" Donald yelled.

"But," Riku pointed out calmly. "We didn't. And that is what we should be focusing on."

"But you could have!"

"I think we should drop the subject." Sora yelled over the argument between Riku and Donald. "Guys? I THINK WE SHOULD DROP THE SUBJECT!!"

"I don't care!" Donald replied.

"Do you care about anything?" Before Riku and Donald could engage in a full on… Duck fight, Sora grabbed his two friends and pulled them into a massive hug.

"Uh, Sora? You're strangling us."

"ISN'T IT LOVELY TO BE BACK IN DISNEY CASTLE?!" Sora announced in a loud voice. He turned and mouthed to Kairi.

**Keep them away from each other!**

Kairi nodded solemnly, grabbed Riku's arm, and dragged him off. Sora grabbed Donald's wing, and dragged him off, subtly shoving Goofy in between the two groups.

"Hi Sora!"

"Hi Chip! Hi Dale!" Sora waved, still shoving Donald forwards.

* * *

_In the King's Library…_

Sora, Kairi, Riku, Donald and Goofy stumbled into the Library, and bowed to the King.

"Your majesty!" The King jumped a little and shoved some letters behind his back, but nodded.

"I'm pleased to see you got here okay."

"We nearly didn't…" Donald muttered darkly, staring daggers at Riku.

"Alright, that's it-" Before Riku could lay into the duck, Kairi slammed one hand across Riku's mouth hard, and Sora held Donald's beak shut.

"What did you want to talk to us about- OW! Donald, that's my hand!" King Mickey looked worried, but not for Sora's hand.

"The stars are going out again."

* * *

The hall of the cornerstone was deserted. The blinding light was broken for a second, by the appearance of a dark portal.

A tall figure stepped out of the portal, fists clenched. The figure scowled, and shielded her face from the blinding light.

"Light…" She hissed. "Who needs it? It's pathetic. Just like that clown with the oversized feet." She shook her head. She pulled a Muramasa out of a scabbard just hidden by her long black cloak, both the blade and hilt were jet black. She waved it through the air.

"_Atrum mucro, Ostendo sum keyhole_!" Black thorns appeared around the Cornerstone of light. The girl laughed.

"Of course! Genius, pure genius!" She took a few steps around the room, keeping her distance from the Cornerstone. "Where else? The perfect defence system. Just a shame-" The girl smiled, and threw the Muramasa into the air, and the thorns rose up, covering the Cornerstone, and throwing the hall into darkness. "- that it wasn't as genius as I am." She crossed the hall, and pushed the cornerstone away, revealing a keyhole. With a grin, she stabbed the keyhole, and darkness flooded out of it…

* * *

"What?!" Yelled everyone at the same time, wondering if the King had finally lost it. The King leapt slightly at the loud noise, and shook his head.

"I said: The stars are going out!"

"We know what you said!" Kairi replied, earning a glare from Donald and Goofy. "We know what you said, _Your Majesty_!"

"How is that possible?" Sora asked, confused as hell. "I mean, we sealed the keyholes of the worlds before, that means that they shouldn't be vanishing."

"Welp, I'm not sure." The King sighed. "It looks like our enemies have worked out a way of undoing the seals-"

"Wait." Riku held up a hand. "What enemies?" He started to count off the enemies on his hand. "The Organization is long gone, the nobodies went with them, Anse- I mean, Xehanort's heartless is gone, there's no way in hell that Maleficent and Pete survived that heartless attack, and the heartless are too thick to do something like this."

"Welp… I don't know that either." This earned a few exasperated sighs. The King shrugged. "I'm sorry. But this is near impossib-"

"YOUR MAJESTY!!" Chip and Dale raced through the door, interrupting the King, Dale was doing most of the yelling. "IT'S HORRIBLE!!"

"There's some dark thing in the sky!" Chip explained.

"Dark thing?!" Everyone yelled, as Sora raced to the window.

A dark orb levitated above Disney Castle, shrouding the whole castle in darkness. Heartless were appearing everywhere, and pieces of the courtyard were being ripped out, even the castle was starting to be ripped apart.

"No way." Sora whispered.

"You majesty!" Queen Minnie ran into the room. "The cornerstone! It's gone!"

"WHAT?!" The King looked stunned. "How-?"

"I don't know!" The queen practically wept. "I went there and it was gone!"

The castle shook fiercely, and everyone fell over, as shadows and neo-shadows appeared in the room.

"Whack!?" Donald squawked, grabbing Save the Queen, as Goofy grabbed Save the King. Mickey, Riku and Kairi summoned their respective weapons, and Sora summoned Ultima Weapon. Before they could attack, the castle shook violently, and plaster fell from the roof.

"Everyone get outside!" Riku yelled over the noise in the Library. Everyone headed for the exit, killing any heartless that got in the way. As they exited, the roof collapsed in on itself, killing the heartless. The group raced through the corridor, down the stairs, and spilled into the courtyard.

"How are we going to get out of here!?" Donald yelled, casting thunder on a nearby shadow.

"We can't use a gummi ship! It's too dangerous!" Goofy yelled back, throwing his shield at a leaping neo-shadow.

_Leave this to me._ Naminé whispered in Kairi's head, as a dark portal appeared.

"Everyone go through now!" Mickey yelled, and the group ran into the portal.

* * *

"You got them!" A voice wheezed from the corner of the darkened room.

"Of course I did, I said I would!" The destroyer of Disney Castle scowled, before laughing half aloud, half to herself. "It was SO easy! In all the confusion, no-one noticed me sneak up behind them, knock them out, and drag them through my own portal." She glanced at the unconscious figures on the floor. Another member of the group piped up.

"It'll break their hearts, won't it?"

* * *

The group spilled out of the dark portal, onto the hard stone that was the bailey in Radiant Garden. It was dark, and only the stars gave out a dim light.

"Is everyone here?" Mickey yelled. "Donald?"

"Wack!"

"Goofy?"

"A-hyuck!"

"Minnie?"

"I'm okay!"

"Kairi?"

"I'm fine." Kairi said, feeling nauseous, and looking around. "Riku? Sora?" There was a long silence. "SORA! RIKU!" There was more silence. "No…" Kairi looked around wildly. "Where are they?"

"They musn't have made it." Goofy said sadly. Kairi shook her head.

"Then we've got to go back!" Kairi yelled, leaping to her feet, tightening her grip on the keyblade.

_Kairi. The sky…_

Kairi's head shot up to face the night sky, just in time to see a nearby bright star twinkle one last time, before fading to black.

"No!" Kairi yelled, as she burst into tears.

* * *

**SW: Just to clear up any confusion, the figure at Disney Castle is a different one to the one who was at the world that never.**

**Sora: Are you just trying to confuse people?**

**SW: Maybe. I do not own Kingdom Hearts (Sadly) or any of the Disney Characters in this. If you have any ideas for worlds for this story, please let me know! Here are ones I am definitly using:**

**Pocahontas (I need a name for this world)  
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Land of Garagoles)  
Pride Lands  
Cinderella (Castle of dreams)  
Snow White (I need a name for this one too!)  
The Emperor's New Groove (Need a name for this one too!)  
The Land of the Dragons.  
Atlantica.  
Robin Hood (Sherwood forest)**

**And also possibly Spira.**

**SW: As you can see, I need your help!**

**Yuffie: IF YOU FLAME, YOU SHALL FACE THE WRATH OF THE GRAND NINJA YUFFIE!!**

**Kairi: Why do you keep refering to yourself in the third person?**

* * *


	3. The Stars

**SW: Holas! I'm back!**

**Yuffie: Do you have popcorn?**

**Aerith: Are you a popcorn addict?**

**Yuffie: (Gasps!) My greatest secret unveiled!**

**Sora: ... Okay then.**

**Cloud: If Yuffie gets popcorn I get popcorn.**

**Riku: If Cloud and Yuffie get popcorn, I get popcorn.**

**Kairi: Why doesn't everyone get popcorn?**

**SW: Everyone will get popcorn as soon as I start the chapter!**

**Namine: Is that a hint for us to shut up?**

**SW: (Starts chapter)**

* * *

The figure from the World that Never Was fell head over heels out of the dark portal.

"Blimmin' thing." It cursed, landing on their knees in the district. It glanced up at the sky, rubbing its legs. It leapt up at a scream. "Looks like they did it." It paused.

"(BEEP)"

* * *

"Kairi!" Kairi raised her head and Yuffie run across the bailey. "What are you doing here? Are you okay? What's wrong? Oh, where the hell is Aerith when you need her?"

"Sora and Riku have gone missing." Goofy said sadly.

"She's probably helping Cloud to pee or something-"She stopped her mini-rant and looked at Goofy. "Wait. WHAT?!"

"Sora and Riku have gone missing!" Donald repeated slowly, as Yuffie raised her eyebrows.

"That blows." She said after a moment. "And that was not nearly as deep as it should have been."

"Yuffie!" The King piped up, snapping Yuffie away from her thoughts, meaningful or otherwise. "Can you get Leon and the others? I want to talk to them…" Yuffie nodded.

"Everyone's in the castle." She jerked a thumb in the direction of the aforementioned castle. "Merlin kicked us out of his house after the incident with Stitch and the flying books." Yuffie winced slightly at the painful memories of that day. Shaking her head to get rid of the images, she helped Kairi up. "C'mon. Let's go find Aerith, I suck at comforting people."

* * *

The figure watched the group head to the castle.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow. Not tonight." It shook it's head. "She's got enough to deal with."

* * *

Aerith was halfway through changing Cloud's several bandages.

"Hold still." She commanded, causing one of Cloud's eyes to snap open, and give her a weak glare.

"Aeriiiiiith… I was nearly asleep- OW!"

"I told you not to fidget." She replied, rolling her eyes. "Done." She stepped back from the bed and obseveved the Ex-SOLDIER. He had fallen asleep. With a small sigh, she left the room. Sleep had been Cloud's main state since her returned two months ago, on the brink of death.

And still, no-one knew who had won.

"AERITH!!" Yuffie yelled, walking along the corridor. "WHERE ARE YO-"

"Shhhhsh!" Aerith hissed, stepping into Yuffie's path. "Cloud's sleeping."

"SHUT UP YUFFIE!!" Cloud yelled from inside the room.

"Well, he was sleeping." Aerith corrected herself. "Why are you looking for me?"

"I need your awesome comforting skills. The King's called an emergency meeting, Sora and Riku have gone missing!"

"What?!" Yelled Aerith and Cloud (Who had been eavesdropping) at the same time.

"That's what I said!" Yuffie smiled slightly, pleased that someone had had the same reaction as her. "And even worse, Merlin was right, the stars are going out!"

"So, he's not going senile?" Aerith asked, Yuffie shrugged.

"Dunno. He was right about this, but flying cannibalistic chocobos…" Yuffie was cut off by the door of Cloud's room swinging open, and the aforementioned man staggering out into the corridor.

"Cloud, no!" Aerith shook her head. "You're too weak."

"Sora's my friend." Cloud stated, swaying slightly on his feet. "If he's in trouble, I want to help."

"You're on such strong painkillers you can barely stay awake, and can't stand up for more than a few minutes without falling over." Yuffie pointed out, earning a glare and a slight growl from Cloud.

"I'm standing up now." He stated.

"Let go of the wall Cloud."

* * *

Kairi was sitting on the desk in Ansem's study, trying to block out the noise around her. Donald and Goofy were discussing something animatedly in the corner of the room, and the King was talking to Minnie, who was slightly shaken by the whole incident.

_It's going to be okay Kairi._

_**Yeah, sure. My best friends have vanished, I'm miles from home, and stuck here with people I don't know.**_

_Jeez. Sorry I spoke._

"Kairi." Kairi raised her head as Aerith walked into the room and gave the Princess of Heart a hug. "Hey. We'll think of something."

"OUCH!! (BEEP)!!"

"Wow. I didn't know you knew all THAT Cloud!"

"Shut up Yuffie."

"I didn't know you knew all that either."

"Shut up Squall."

"It's (BEEP) Leon!" Yelled Leon, as the arguing trio navigated their way into the study, with Yuffie and Leon helping Cloud to walk.

"Where's Cid?" Goofy asked as Cloud was helped into a chair as ordered by Aerith.

"CID!!" Yuffie screamed at the top of her voice, causing everyone to flinch.

"Wha?" Cid yelled from the computer.

"Get your (BEEP) in here NOW!!" Yelled Yuffie, as Cid stuck his head around the wall.

"You have a filthy mouth."

"You haven't heard Cloud then." Tifa shrugged, earning a glare from the aforementioned man.

"I am in the room you know."

"ANYWAY!" The King raised his voice above the arguing group. "As you all know, Sora and Riku have gone missing. I would like you all to help me search the worlds for them, and the reasons the stars are disappearing." There were nods of agreement.

"Cloud, there is no way in hell you are going." Leon said, earning a glare from the blonde.

"Why not?"

"Because you cannot walk." Aerith sighed, holding her head in her hand. "I'll stay and make sure you don't do anything stupid, and to make sure you don't die."

"Could ya keep an eye on Kairi too?" At the sound of her name, Kairi's head snapped up again.

"And what makes you think I'm not going?" Kairi stood up. "I can walk! I can fight! They're my friends, and I want to help! So give me a reason why I can't go!"

"Kairi, it's too dangerous." The King explained. "You're still learning how to fight, and the places we may be looking… They're more than very dangerous."

"But I promised Sora!" Kairi yelled, beginning to lose her temper. "I promised Sora that wherever he went, I'd follow! I don't break my promises!"

"Listen." The King bit his lip. "You're tired. Just get some rest, we'll talk in the morning." Kairi remained silent.

"Ugh… Fine." Kairi said, as Aerith took her hand, and guided her out of the room and through the maze of corridors.

_Calmed down yet?_

_**Sorry.**_ _**I just… I'm stressed, I suppose.**_

_Yeah. I know…_

Naminé's voice sounded downcast.

_**Can't you hear Roxas?**_

_No. Nothing._

Aerith smiled sadly at Kairi.

"It will turn out okay Kairi. Sora and Riku are tough. They'll get through anything, I'm sure."

"I know." Kairi sighed. "But I still want to help." Aerith sighed, and opened a door to a small but comfortable room, wit a bed and a small chest.

"Just rest here, okay? I'll let the King know where you are, so he can talk to you. Things will look better in the morning." And with that, Aerith left, leaving the Princess on her own.

"Thing's can't be better in the morning." Kairi sighed. "I hate that phrase. Just because the sun comes up, doesn't mean that everything will be fixed." Kairi sat on the bed, and looked out at the night sky.

"We only just came home. Lulu and Ashe will be so upset! And what about Kaia?" Kairi sighed. "At least the stars are the same."

Kairi flopped back onto her bed, shut her eyes, and fell asleep.

* * *

**SW: Please oh please review! I start school tomorrow, and a review would cheer me up!**

**Kairi: That reminds me. I had to go to school, but YOU TWO bunked off for a whole year.**

**Riku: I was stuck in the realm of darkness!**

**Sora: I was asleep!**

**Yuffie: (Holding a very large bowl full of popcorn) POOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPCOOOOORRRRRRNN!!**

**Sora: Flamers will meet the same end as Xemnas!**

**Cloud: Now let's get that popcorn!**


	4. Have Keyblade, may travel

**SW: I HAS REVIEWS!!**

**Kairi: YOU HAS BAD GRAMMER!!**

**SW: (Glares) Thank you coolkid1863 and SoraLover1994 for your reviews!**

**Sora: When do I come in?**

**SW: Soon.**

**Sora: How soon?**

**SW: Soon soon. Let's get of the started.**

**Yuffie: WAIT! NO STARTING UNTIL I HAVE THE POPCORN!!**

**Cloud: I want popcorn.**

**Tifa: Why don't we all get popcorn?**

**Riku: (Pulls out several bowls of popcorn)**

**Yuffie: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!! (Glomps Riku)**

**Riku: AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!**

**SW: O.O Lets get started.**

* * *

Kairi woke up at a strange sound. She peeled her eyes open, sat up, and glanced out of the window.

"What? Radiant Garden? Why am I her- Oh…" Kairi sighed as last nights events came flooding back into her head. "That noise… Gummi ship engines!" Kairi swung the window open just in time to see a red and yellow gummi ship fly out of the atmosphere.

"NO!" She yelled angrily. "You said you'd take me with you…" Kairi sighed, and flopped back onto the bad, and felt in her pocket for the good luck charm. "You kept your promise… I'm going to keep mine!"

* * *

The figure looked up at the gummi ship.

"Good luck." It muttered, pulling out her weapon. "You're not going to find anything… But good luck anyway."

And with that, it headed towards the postern.

* * *

"Hey Kairi." Aerith poked her head around the door. "Feeling any better?"

"I'm less tired." Kairi shrugged. "They left without me."

"I know." Aerith sighed. "The King thought it would be better for everyone… Cloud was also very insistent he wen-" She was cut off by a lot of crashing, and a rather large amount of cursing. Aerith rolled her eyes.

"Can you help me with Cloud? I might kill him if I don't get help." Kairi sighed, nodded, and left the room with Aerith.

"What happened to Cloud?" Kairi asked as they followed the curses .

"He was trying to settle things with Sephiroth. He turned up here after a few weeks and… Well… We still don't know what happened. He just won't tell anyone." And with that, they entered Cloud's room. Cloud himself was on the floor, with several objects on top of him. He remained silent.

"Cloud Strife." Aerith said after a long pause, in a head-teacherly way. "Did you try to walk again?"

"No."

"Oh." She crossed her arms. "So how did you end up on the other side of the room?"

"I fell."

"You fell?"

"Yes."

"Off the bed?"

"That's right."

"And you- What, _rolled_ to the other side of the room?"

"Yup."

"I see." Aerith leant down, picked up a wellington boot, and hit Cloud over the head with it.

"OW!"

"Not only are you an idiot, but you are a terrible liar!" Aerith scolded, as Cloud looked somewhat embarrassed.

"If your going to lie, like wholeheartedly." Kairi said, remembering a old expression of Riku's.

"Exactly." Aerith nodded, starting to remove the objects off Cloud's back.

"Aerith, would you mind if I got some air?" Kairi asked, hit by a pang of homesickness.

"Sure you can. Are you-"

"Thanks." Kairi said, sprinting out of the door.

* * *

Kairi sat on the postern, taking a few shaky breaths.

"Tissue?" Kairi turned to see a white tissue being waved in her face.

"Um… No thanks, I'm fine." Kairi said slowly, turning to see the holder of the tissue. The person was wearing an organization coat, causing Kairi to instinctively summon her keyblade. "Who are you?"

"Huh? Oh!" The person snapped their fingers. "It's the coat, isn't it? I hate it, but it's the easiest way to sneak around the dark realm…" The person pulled down their hood, to reveal a girl about Kairi's age. "My name's Akira, but my friends call me Aki. And you," She pointed at Kairi. "Are Kairi."

"Yeah." Kairi nodded. "So… Not in the Organization?"

"Not the last time I checked." She shrugged, and sat down next to Kairi. Kairi eyed the girl. She didn't seem dangerous… She looked fairly normal, short wavy black hair, green eyes… Which begged the question: Why was she sneaking around the dark realm?

"How do you know my name?" Kairi asked.

"I've heard a lot about you." She said simply. "Okay… Right. You know how Sora saved the worlds?" Kairi nodded. "Well… It's your turn."

"Is this a joke?" Kairi said after a considerable pause. "Because it's not a very funny one if it is."

"No joke. Real. Serious." Akira remained silent for a moment. "Sounded like Tarzan there for a moment. Nice bloke, Tarzan. But no. Kairi, no pressure or anything, but I need your help. Your help. Not the King's, not Leon's, not Sora's, not Riku's, yours."

"Why me?!" Kairi stared at her. "I'm nothing special! I'm a 15 year old girl from Destiny Islands! What's this got to do with me."

"You're wrong." Akira shook her head. "You're a princess of heart that can wield a keyblade. That has never ever happened before. So, that's why only you can do it!"

"Do what?" Kairi asked, a feeling of dread on her shoulders.

"Defeat the Princesses of Darkness."

"What?" Kairi stared at her some more. "You're insane."

"Possibly. Every realm has at least one Princess. There are the princesses of heart, Naminé is the Princess of nothingness, and then we have the princesses of Darkness. There are seven, the same amount as light-"

"You really are mad." Kairi shook her head, and stood up. "Crazy." She started to walk away, as Akira watched her.

"-And they've got Sora and Riku." Kairi stopped and turned to face Akira. Akira smiled grimly. "I had a feeling that would that would get your attention."

"You're lying." Kairi said. "I'm leav-"

"I'm not lying. And I'm not insane. Kairi, why do you think the stars are going out?" Akira asked, frowning slightly. Kairi shrugged.

"I don't know… But that's not the reason."

"Are you sure?" Kairi remained silent, before walking back towards the castle. "Okay then! I'll be here when you change your mind!"

"I'm not going to." Kairi replied, before heading into the corridors.

"… Sure you won't." Akira smiled, made herself comfortable, and waited.

* * *

Cloud frowned at the clearly agitated Princess of heart.

"I'm confused."

"There's nothing to be confused about!" Kairi scowled. "She's insane!"

"… Maybe."

"You believe her?" Kairi's agitation was replaced by a slight stunned tone.

"Well… When I was in the underworld... I heard rumours…"

"Precisely." Kairi sighed. "Rumours. Not facts. Rumours." Cloud rolled his eyes.

"God, you're stubborn. Listen," Cloud propped himself up on his elbows. "Think of it like this: Even if she is insane, and there's no such thing as Princesses of darkness, she's still your best chance of getting out there, and finding Sora and Riku." Kairi remained silent for a while.

"Ever thought of becoming a motivational speaker?"

"Nah. Too boring. Look," Cloud leaned over to Kairi, and nearly fell off the bed in the process. "I'll distract Aerith, you sneak out of here, and meet up with that girl, and go find Sora. And Riku." He added hastily under Kairi's glare.

"Can't we just TELL Aerith?"

"She's sweet, and I'm sure she'd let you go… But not before checking it with Leon, the King, and it would take forever." Cloud explained. "So… Ready?"

"Um… I suppose so…" Kairi felt a little wave of nervousness. She was about to go around the worlds in search of her best friends with a total stranger. She paused before giving Cloud a hug. "Thanks for the help."

"Um… You're welcome?" There was a pause. "Could you let go now?"

"Oh, right!" Kairi leapt back. "Sorry. So… Thanks again. And see you later." Kairi turned and headed out of the room.

"Good luck!" Cloud paused.

_Um… Distract Aerith… Ummmmmmmm… Got it!_

Taking a deep breath, Cloud chucked his head back and screamed at the top of his large lungs.

**_"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH  
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! MY SPLEEN!! MY SPLEEN!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH-_** Huck!" Cloud stopped his screaming for a lengthy coughing fit. After regaining a degree of dignity, he continued to scream. **_"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"_**

"Cloud!" Aerith walked into the room. "You can stop screaming now! Where does it hurt?" Cloud made a guess, and pointed at his leg. Aerith looked at his leg in obvious confusion. "Cloud, that's not your spleen."

* * *

Kairi stepped out onto the posturn, where, true to her word, Akira was waiting. The fact she was reading a book called 'Gummi ships for dummies' was somewhat concering.

"Changed your mind?" She asked, without looking up from her book.

"I still think you're insane."

"Fair enough."

"And that there's no such thing as princesses of darkness."

"Your opinion."

"And I don't like you."

"I'll grow on you. I often grow on people."

"But," Kairi sighed. "Your probably the best chance of me helping to look for Sora and Riku."

"So that's a yes?" Akira glanced up from her book at long last.

"Yeah. It's a yes."

"Awesome!" With a cheeky grin, Akira snapped the book shut. "Let's boogie!" Leaping off the wall, she headed towards the restoration site. Kairi joined her.

"So, how are we going to get around?" Kairi asked straight away, fairly certain she knew the answer.

"Gummi ship."

_Yep. Oh boy._

"We can rent one at the marketplace." Akira carried on, missing out a very crucial point.

"Can you FLY a gummi ship?" Kairi asked. Akira's smile slipped slightly.

"Uh… No. You?"

"Nope." Kairi shook her head for emphasis.

"Ah." Akira paused. "This should be interesting!"

* * *

"Did you lock them up?" Wheezed a voice, giddy with excitement. The destroyer of Disney Castle rolled her eyes.

"No. I left them in a room with the door wide open, so they may wander in and out as they please. OF COURSE I LOCKED THEM UP YOU OLD BAT!!" This caused the other assembled women to scowl deeply.

"None of us like your attitude." One hissed. "And if you continue to act like this, then WE shall take matters into our own hands." Before she could contine, there was a flash of black metal, and the same sword used in Disney Castle was pressed against her throat.

"You wouldn't be suggesting a mutiny by any chance, would you Yzma?" Asked the girl, her voice coated in a fake calm. "May I remind you all it was I who found this Murasama and discovered how to use it? And that I could destroy you all with it in seconds? Now. Is there any talk of mutiny?" There was a long silence. "Good. Now, go back to your worlds and prepare yourselves!" There was a flurry of dark portals as the princesses returned to their home worlds, until only the leader was left. She was only given a few moments however, before another portal opened up behind her. She turned, and watched as a familiar figure stepped out of the portal, and a small cold smile formed on her face.

"Maleficent." The leader nodded. "I've been expecting you…"

* * *

Sora's eyes weakly flickered open. All that was in his line of vision was a stone floor which he was lying on, a stone wall… And another figure.

"Kairi?" There was a pause and Sora tried again. "Kairi!?" There was another pause, before the figure started laughing.

"You thought I was Kairi?" Riku turned around and gave Sora a small grim smile. "That hag must have hit you harder on the head than I thought!"

* * *

Kairi looked at all the controls of their rented gummi ship. She had drawn the shortest straw, and was therefore driving with Akira helping out.

"How do I start it?" She asked Akira, who paused, frowned, and checked the book.

"Press the green circular button. Then a blue square button will flash, and the gummi ship will- the corner of the page is torn away."

"What was that last instruction?" Kairi called back. "It didn't make any sense."

"Nooo!" Akira sighed. "The corner of the book is gone!"

"Oh." There was a pause. "Should I do it anyway?"

"You're the driver." There was a silence as Kairi followed the read-out instructions. Then the Gummi ship smashed into the ground of Radient Garden. "OWWW!" Both girls yelled.

"Something clearly lost in translation there."

* * *

**SW: Explaining time! A Murasama is a sword that, according to legend, cannot be put away until it has drawn blood.**

**Yuffie: Nice.**

**Sephiroth: (Bursts through the wall) Where is Cloud?**

**Aerith: (Bangs head on the wall)**

**Cloud: (Sitting on the sofa) Hey. (Holds out bowl) Popcorn?**

**Sephiroth: ... Okay! (Sits on Sofa)**

**Sora: ... Why?**

**SW: Because Sephiroth is cool. Also, Akira means Bright; Clear or Dawn. I'm going with the 'Dawn' definition.**

**Kairi: Why?**

**(Why? by Ayaka starts playing in the background)**

**SW: You shall find out soon. If you want to know more about Akira, I'm making an OC section on my profile, you can look up stuff there.**

**Sora: By why, I meant why isn't Cloud killing Sephiroth?**

**Cloud: (Through a mouthful of popcorn) Because it's the weekend. We have a treaty: No fighting on the weekends.**

**Sephiroth: (Also through a mouthful of popcorn) True.**

**Aerith: (Rolls eyes)**

**SW: This has been a long authors note... So I better wrap it up! Please review!**

**Sephiroth: Flamers will be on the reciving end of 'Heartless Angel'.**

**SW: I hate that bloody spell. Next chapter will be soon!**


	5. Return to Twilight Town

**SW: Okay, next chapter took longer than expected for three very good reasons! ONE: School started. TWO: Teachers have given me tonnes of homework. And THREE: I was ill for about a week. All that writing time out of the window!**

**Sora: I have marshmallows!**

**Cloud: I want some!**

**Aerith: Screw you, I get the marshmallows!**

**SW: I think I replied to the all the reviews I got... Note the word think. Thank you for the reviews! Oh yes, and the Leader's name will be revieled her... At last. Also, my first fight scene! IT SUCKS, IT SUCKS! I CAN'T WRITE BATTLE SCENES, AND I KNOW IT! Let me know what you think anyway.**

* * *

It had taken a while for Kairi and Akira to find the correct instructions for the Gummi Ship and to actually launch the gummi ship.

"Can you see a world yet?" Kairi asked Akira, who was acting as a lookout.

"No. No. No. No. No. YES!!" At Akira's yell, Kairi leapt slightly into the air.

"Do you have to do that?"

"Yes." Akira pointed to a world that was coming up in the distance. "Twilight town: Dead ahead."

"Good." Kairi smiled. "I can see Hayner, Pence and Olette again."

"Who are they?"

"They're friends of mine." Kairi explained. "I haven't seen them for a while."

"Oh! Neat." Akira nodded.

"What about you?" Kairi turned to look at the other girl. "Do you have any friends?"

_D'oh! Way to put your foot in it Kairi!_ Naminé yelled from inside Kairi's skull.

"Uh… No. Not really. I used to." Akira shrugged, keeping one eye on the window.

"Really? What happened?"

"Gone." Akira shrugged again, keeping her gaze focused on the window. Kairi remained slightly stumped.

"Uh…"

"DEAR GOD, KEEP YOUR HANDS ON THE WHEEL!!" Akira screamed loudly, making Kairi turn back to the window to see they were on a collision course with a meteor.

"YAH!!" Kairi grabbed the wheel and spun it sharply to the left. This in turn made the two girls get thrown out of their seats.

"Did we miss the meteor?"

"What do you think?" Kairi replied, attempting to sit up in the gummi ship, which had decided to rock from side to side.

"Sorry, dumb question." Akira succeeded in sitting upright. "THE WHEEL!! THE WHEEL!!"

"Whoops!"

* * *

Kairi and Akira walked out of the train station in Twilight Town.

"So, where can we find your friends?"

"Um… They'll be in the usual spot, in the back alley."

"Oh!" Akira raced towards the tunnels. "I know where we're going! This way!"

"You've been in Twilight Town before?" Kairi asked, jogging to keep up with Akira as they headed for the tunnels.

"Yup." Akira nodded, as they headed into the dim light of the tunnels, glancing at a sign post. "I lived here for a while."

"Ah. Riku did too." Kairi replied, heading towards the Back Alley exit.

"Yeah, I know." Kairi turned and looked at… Well, she was a stranger really.

"Do you know everything about us?" Akira remained silent, considering Kairi's question. She sighed, opened her mouth-

FWOOSH!

A group of shadows, soldiers and neo-shadows appeared out of their mini-dark portals. Kairi instinctively summoned her keyblade and lunged slightly clunkily at a nearby neo-shadow. After a few hits of her keyblade, it vanished into darkness. Turning, she saw Akira slashing through a shadow with a gunblade, similar to the one she had seen Leon using while in Radiant Garden.

"Kai, look out!" Kairi spun to see a shadow pounce up behind her. Quickly, she slashed at it. "You don't mind me calling you Kai, do you?"

"I really don't care!" Kairi yelled over her shoulder, with what she was being called the last thing on her mind. Quickly, she dispatched of a soldier, and Akira got rid of a neo-shadow. Finally, there was silence.

"Not bad." Akira said to Kairi, putting the gunblade back into the folds of her Organization coat. "You're good. You just need some training."

"I've had training. Sora was training me." Kairi explained.

"Was he training you well?" Seeing Kairi's confused look, she carried on, adopting a high-pitched teacherly voice. "When a man trains a woman he loves very much, he does a crappy job."

"I get the message." Kairi sighed. "You're a bit blunt."

"Get used to it." A pause. "I was being blunt again."

"This is stupid!" Kairi snapped. "I'm trekking around the worlds with a virtual stranger-"

"You're mistaking me for Tron."

"I'm searching of my bo- My two best friends!"

"You think that's odd? At least you're travelling with a human being! Your bo-, sorry, _best_ friend travelled with a talking duck and dog." Kairi just looked at her.

"You're not really growing on me."

"I'm not? Oh." Akira shrugged, and headed towards the exit. "Come on! Hayner, Pence and Olette!"

* * *

"Cloud!" Aerith marched into Cloud's room.

"Yes-um?"

"Have you seen Kairi? I've been looking for her everywhere…" The Ex-SOLDIER instantly shook his head. "Are you sure?" Cloud yawned.

"Been lovely talking Aerith, but sleep waits for no-one, especially when they are on heavy painkillers, night night!" And with that, Cloud slammed onto the pillows, shut his eyes, and did some realistic snoring noises.

"I also checked the marketplace." Cloud snored a little louder. "And Hewy said he saw her with a unknown girl, looking for gummi ships." Cloud turned his snoring up to a level known as 'Ear-drums may implode'. Aerith sighed, bent down, picked up the wellington boots, and clocked Cloud around the head with them.

"OW! Stop using boots as a weapon!"

"Cloud." Aerith's voice took on a menacing tone. "Has Kairi gone to look for Sora and Riku with a stranger?"

"… It's definitely not improbable that you are not incorrect in your assumption." Cloud said slowly, picking each word with the greatest care.

"And did you encourage her?"

"There is a high chance of an overly positive response to the aforementioned question, depending on your overall perspective."

Cloud was hit over the head with the boots again.

* * *

"I'm not very sure about this." Maleficent frowned at the younger girl, who let out an agitated sigh.

"It could not be more simple." The leader pushed herself of the table she had been sitting on. "I am a very busy person. I barely have one time to deal with one drivelling idiot, and I don't want them anywhere near each other anyway. However, Sora is VITAL for my plans. I merely took Riku to have him out of the way, another chink in the armour, etc. I have no use for him. I merely ask this: We agree not to attack each other, and I shall give you Riku. You may do what you please with him, as long as it does not disturb my plans." Maleficent scowled.

"I want my revenge on the keyblade master himself!"

"That will come in due course. But what about Xehanort's heartless? He resides in Riku, don't you want revenge on him?"

"I don't see why I can't take Sora." The leader rolled her eyes, and muttered a few well chosen curses under her breath.

"Sora is the fuel for the fire that is Kairi. I need that fire, egro, I need the fuel."

"Kairi?" Maleficent smiled coldly. "Surely you don't mean the princess of heart?"

"And how many Kairi's do you know?" The leader asked, waving her hand over a glowing purple spot on the floor. A hologram of Kairi walking along the tunnels of Twilight Town appeared. "So. Are we at an agreement?"

* * *

Sora stayed face-down on the floor, inspecting the stones, as Riku looked around the room.

"Sora?" Sora raised his head wearily to Riku's slightly worried call. "There aren't any doors."

"You're kidding, right?" Sora clambered to his feet, and examined the room for himself. "Maybe it's hidden."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not stupid enough to leave a keyblade master in a room with a _door_." The Voice, full of spite, echoed throughout the room, causing Riku and Sora to instinctively summon their keyblades.

"Whose there?" Sora yelled. Moments followed, before a dark portal appeared. Out of it appeared the Leader and Maleificent. Sora scowled deeply. "You!"

"Yes, but put your weapon away." Maleficent told Sora. "I am not here for you."

"I haven't changed, I still don't take orders from you!" Sora yelled, stepping back into a fighting stance.

"ENOUGH!!" The leader bellowed. "Take Riku and go, I've got more important things I could be doing. Like counting the hairs on my knee caps."

"What?!" Riku stepped back from the duo. "You're not taking me!"

"Oh, I'm afraid you don't have a choice." Maleficent scowled.

"Yes I do! Everyone has a choice."

"There used to be a time," Maleficent took a step forward. "Where you listened to every word I said. You respected me more than your own mother." A cruel smile appeared on her face. "Remember? It wasn't so long ago."

"I've changed." Riku snapped, tightening his grip on the keyblade.

"Really? A leopard, Riku, does not change its spots."

"I'm not a leopard."

CRACK!!

Riku fell to the floor unconscious. The Leader glanced at the young boy, holding Murasama in her left hand.

"Have your little standoff somewhere else. I told you I had no time for this. Now will you get moving?!" Maleficent swung her rod at the Leader.

"You dare command me? Me? The mistress of all evil?"

"More like the mistress of all foofie! WILL? YOU? GET? MOVING?" Maleficent scowled, before grabbing Riku and portalling away.

"Riku!" Sora yelled as his friend and Maleficent vanished.

"Don't cry. You'll see your little friend soon enough." Sora stared at the leader, who laughed. "Kairi's a bit of a feminist, isn't she? And she won't stop until she finds both of you-"

"Leave Kairi out of this!" Sora yelled. "Don't hurt her!" Sora charged at the Leader, who knocked him back with Murasama, grabbing his necklace as he fell backwards.

"I cannot stand moping little boys!" She yelled, slapping Sora across the face. "As I was saying, Kairi will get rid of Maleficent, I take Riku, and everyone's happy!"

"But… You had an agreement-" Sora felt the sharp sting of another slap across his face.

"Oh grow up! People break agreements all the time! This is no difference. After all, Axel and Roxas never met in the next life. You, the high and mighty keyblade master didn't protect Naminé." And with a smirk, she pulled hard on the chain, causing the clasp of the necklace to break. She pocketed it.

"No! My dad gave me that before he died!" Sora yelled, lunging at the Leader again. She knocked him back again.

"She who angers you, conquers you." She laughed, and summoned a dark portal. "Why do I feel I've conquered you?" She stepped through the portal, still laughing.

And Sora was left alone in the cold, bare, stone room.

* * *

Kairi and Akira finally clambered out into the back alley. They blinked hard at the strong sunlight.

"Well, we did get out of there, finally." Kairi sighed, giving Akira a look.

"I haven't been here for a while, okay?" Akira shrugged. "In addition to that, I have a bad memory."

"Right." Kairi headed towards the wire gate that was the entrance to the usual spot.

"KAIRI!" Olette had just exited the Usual Spot, and was over-joyed to see the Princess of Heart. "Are you okay? We were so worried about you? Were you in the parallel Twilight Town?"

"No." Kairi shook her head. "Not as such…"

"Oh." Olette grabbed Kairi's hand and pulled her into the Usual Spot. "Guys! It's Kairi!" Hayner and Pence looked up at the same time, before bursting into matching grins.

"Hey Kairi!"

"Are you okay? Axel didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No, no, he didn't. Actually he turne- What's wrong Hayner?"

"Oh. Nothing. I was just thinking, I will look at that lovely sunset outside." Hayner said, in a very false voice, before jerking his head twice towards the exit. "Yes… Sunsets are so… so… so… Sunny." He jerked his head again.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, I am fine." Jerk jerk. "It's just – YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!" With a battle cry, Hayner leapt out of the Usual Spot.

"Ow!"

"GOTCHA!"

"Kairi!" Akira's voice drifted in from outside. "Tell your friend to get off me now, or I'll kill him, and don't think I won't, 'cause I will!" Kairi walked out to see Hayner was wrestled Akira to the floor, who was just lying there, slightly annoyed.

"Hayner, get off her please. She's okay."

"But she was creeping around outside and she was wearing a black coat like Axel did…" Hayner explained his actions as he stood up.

"I know. And she is an idiot-"

"HEY!"

"-But she's not dangerous. Her name's Akira." Kairi grinned, as Akira pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"I don't know what's more hurt. My body or my pride." She shook her head. "Ow. Body. Definitely body."

"You did bring it on yourself." Kairi stated, earning a glare from Akira. "It's true. People wouldn't get confused if you didn't wear an Organization coat."

"What? Oh. I forgot I wore that." Akira smiled sheepishly. "You kind of get used to it."

"You get used to wearing a long black coat?"

"Yeah." Akira paused. "I should get rid of the coat, shouldn't I?"

"Definitely."

"Shame." Akira stood up, and unzipped the coat. "Oh God! I'm stuck to the coat- Wait, no I'm not. Eh."

Underneath the coat, Akira was wearing a pair of blue Capri pants, a white sleeveless top, and orange trainers. Kairi raised an eyebrow.

"I dress how I want, have you got a problem with that?" Akira asked testily, fiddling with the Organization's coats pocket.

"No- What are you doing?"

"Looking for my jacket."

"… You're holding it."

"Not that coat." Akira pulled a khaki jacket out of one of the pockets. "Got it!" With a smile, she pulled it on. "There! Done. I'll keep the coat though, might come in useful."

"No, don't keep the coat."

"Where's Sora?" Pence suddenly asked. "We were having some problems with Seifer…" The air became considerably cold.

"Um…" Kairi looked at Akira, who gave her a look that could only be described as _'I-don't-know-what-to-tell-them-they're-your-friends'_. "He had to go. Away. For a while. Not sure how long." Kairi flapped her hands a little bit. "But he'll come back soon enough."

"Well… At least SOME of that was true." A voice echoed around the back alley. "He is gone away. And you're not sure how long. The rest of that is a total lie, isn't it?"

"Who's there?" Kairi asked, summoning her keyblade. It didn't come. She sighed, and tried again, this time succeeding.

"Now, now. That's not how Princesses behave, is it?" The voice scolded, with an air of amusement in her voice. "Threating behaviour, lying… Shame on you Kairi. Such a disgrace on all Princesses."

"Who are you?" Kairi repeated, tightening her grip on the keyblade. There was silence, followed by a snicker. A dark portal appeared by the entrance to the Usual Spot, and the Leader stepped out of the portal.

"Well, I am your worse nightmare is clichéd. So, in that case. I… Am… KURANE!" Kairi blinked slowly, the words _This girl is insane_ passed her mind. Turning, she saw Akira had her hands clenched into fists.

"Friend of yours?" She inquired.

"Hardly." Hissed Akira through clenched teeth.

"I would have to agree." Kurane piped up. "We're quite far from friends… Unlike you and that pathetic keyblade master."

"His name is SORA!" Kairi yelled, "What have you done to him? Where is he?"

"Again, with the letting down of Princesses. Honestly, show some respect Kairi."

"The only respect you'd ever get is at you funeral." Akira shot back. Kurane snorted.

"You're as bad as she is. Both of you. A disgrace. As for your little friend…" She paused, before pulling out a necklace with a crown pendant. "Here's a challenge: See if you can ever get this back to him." Kurane threw the chain at Kairi, before vanishing back into the black portal.

Kairi bent down and picked up the chain from the floor. Sora had worn it for as long as she could remember. It had been given to him from his dad, who had died from cancer on Sora's second birthday.

"Kairi. Kairi!"

"I'mgoingtokillher." Kairi muttered. Olette blinked.

"What was that?"

"I'm going to kill her if she lays one finger on Sora!" Kairi yelled. "I really will!"

"Kairi, lets head back to the gummi ship. I'm guessing you could use a lie down, and I could use a drink!" Akira shrivelled slightly under Kairi's glare. "…Joke?"

* * *

**SW: Akira will be putting her foot in it a lot during this story. And also, I don't promote drinking. I do however, promote jokes about drinking! Because if something's made fun of enough, then people stop doing it!**

**Sora: When has that theory worked?**

**SW:... Since I said so?**

**Akira: Yo. (Steals popcorn from Sephiroth)**

**SW: Yeppers, so let me know what you think, espically of my two OC's Kurane and Akira. Oh, by the way, Kurane is a very bad mix of the words Kuroi meaning 'Dark', and Akane meaning 'Deep Red'. There is a reason behind all of these names. **

**Kairi: Make the next chapter sooner!**

**SW: And the Gunblade Akira uses is the Gunblade that Lighting uses in the 'Final Fantasy XIII' Trailers. Damn, that game looks so good!**

**Yuffie: SHE STOLE MY POPCORN! (Points at Akira)**

**Akira: Bite me.**

**Yuffie: Oh, that's it! (Fight begins.)**

**SW: (Dodges shurkin) See you next chapter, hopefully. If we survive this fight, that is...**


	6. Awakening

**SW: Suppage readers! Yuffie's and Akira's deadly-ish fight has been moved outside-**

**(Shurkin flies through the window)**

**SW: - In a way.**

**Sora: Hey. Have you told K-A-R-I-E that S-O-R-A-A-L-O-V-U-R-1-9-9-4 is here too?**

**Riku: (Between eating marshmallows) Way to go dipstick, you spelt both your girlfriend and your number one fan's name wrong.**

**Sora: Nuh-uh! Kairi! Isn't your name spelt KARIE!?**

**Kairi: ...NO!**

**Sora: Oh. Then how do you spell it?**

**Kairi: (Face-plants into the ground)**

**SW: Let's get started before Kairi gets brain damage.**

* * *

(At some points, it helps if you have certain pieces of music playing in the background. Here, it is Missing You, from the Kingdom Hearts 2 Soundtrack)

Kairi sat crossed legged on a small bed towards the back of the gummi ship, her keyblade in one hand, and Sora's necklace in the other.

"I don't want to carry on." Kairi said out loud. "But I can't just leave Sora, right?"

Silence.

"Naminé?"

_Huh? Oh, sorry, I was thinking…_

"Any ideas?"

……… _I'm sorry Kairi, but I have no idea. This is so confusing… I don't know what to do._

"I used to want all this. Adventure, travel…" Kairi sighed. "But I always thought that Riku and Sora would be with me. I wouldn't be on my own…" Kairi sighed, and squeezed the necklace tighter.

**(End music)**

* * *

Cloud had a pillow over his face, as Aerith tried to contact King Mickey's gummi ship, Highwind V.3

"I said I'm sorry!"

"And I know you didn't mean it." Aerith replied, tapping her fingers on the computer as Tron attempted to connect her.

"But I did mean it!"

"Cloud, I cannot take you seriously with that pillow over your head." Cloud removed the pillow, and frowned at the brown haired woman.

"I'm wearing it as protection from you and your wellies."

"Cloud Strife: Saves the worlds, fights Sephiroth… Defeated by Wellingtion boots – Oh, hi Leon!" Aerith chirped, her voice a few octives higher than before.

"_Hi Aerith. What's wrong?"_ Leon's voice crackled over the computer.

"Um, well…" Aerith glanced at Cloud, before nervously chuckling. "One day we'll laugh at this."

"_Laugh at what?"_

* * *

Akira swivelled around in the control room of the rented Gummi ship, hugging her jacket closer to herself. She sighed and glanced down at the print of a black phoenix on the back.

"What now?" Akira asked air, unlike Kairi, she didn't have a nobody to talk to. "To tell or not to tell: that is the question." She spun around a little more. "She doesn't need to know." Spin. "But, it's better she does." Spin. "However I really don't want to tell her." Spin. "Still, she should know." Spin. "But, I don't want to tell her how I know about her… ACK! Damn life, be simpler!"

* * *

"SHE DID WHAT?!" Was all Leon was able to say. "AND CLOUD HELPED?!"

"_I am injured, and therefore should be considered mentally unstable."_ Cloud piped up.

"I'm not going to argue with the mentally unstable part!" Leon sighed, wondering if it was too soon into the blonde's recovery to punch him repeatedly in the face. "So, now we're looking for Sora, Riku AND Kairi."

"_That's right."_ Aerith nodded.

"Great. Nice job guys." Leon switched the communicator off, and banged his head on the control panel. It was going to be a loooooooooong day.

* * *

Kairi's eyes flickered open, and she noticed three things. In order:

1. She was lying on something hard.

2. It was completely dark.

3. This was not the gummi ship.

"What the…?" Kairi pushed herself upright, and found herself looking at Sora's face. "What?"

_The Station of Awakening._ Naminé informed. _Roxas and Sora have been tested here…_

"Wait. Was this where Sora had the encounter with the huge black THING that swallowed him up?"

_Yep._

"And Roxas had the encounter with the huge snake-y nobody?"

_Again, yep._

"Oh what fun." She sighed and sat upright. "So, I'm going to fight a massive nobody or heartless?"

_Probably. Possibly. Maybe._

"Not filling me with confidence." Kairi stood up, and looked at the floor. "Sora's and Riku's eyes are shut… Does that mean anything?"

_Well, Sora's eyes were shut when he was sleeping… So, I don't know._

"Thanks."

Shink!

Kairi blinked as three pillars of stone appeared up out of the ground.

_Power sleeps within you._

"That's not you by any chance, is it Naminé?"

_Nope._

"Perfect."

_But first, you must choose it's form._

"Juh?" Kairi asked, as a shield, a sword, and a staff appeared on each of the three pillars.

_Choose carefully._

"…" Kairi took a step forwards, and picked up the sword.

_The power of the warrior.  
__Invincible courage.  
__A sword of terrible destruction._

"I've seen enough destruction to last a lifetime, thanks." She placed the sword back down. Turning around she picked up the staff.

_The power of the mystic.  
__Inner strength.  
__A staff of wonder and ruin._

_What is it with the ruin?_

"I don't know," Kairi shrugged, and placed the staff back down. "He- She- IT'S obsessed with ruin." She walked over to the shield. "This can't be a shield of ruin, right?"

_The power of the guardian.  
__Kindness to aid friends.  
__A shield to repel all._

"Okay… I'll take this." Kairi said. "I want to help my friends, not ruin them."

_Now what do you want to give up?_

"… Naminé, you pick."

_Why me?_

"Oh, well, what would you do?"

… _Well, you can heal your friends with magic… But you are stronger with strength._

"Hence the name." Kairi frowned in thought. "I'm guessing eniee-menee-minee-mo would be totally inappropriate?"

_You would be correct._

"Uh…" Kairi sighed. "I'll give up the warrior. Strength is overrated."

The pillers vanished back into the ground.

In a flash of light, a keyblade appeared in Kairi's hand, not her usual one. The keyblade's stem and handle was gold, with a silver heart making up the blade. The keychain was two interlocked hearts, one gold and one silver.

_Every journey starts with one step. Can you do it?_

"Pardon?"

_It wants you to take a step forwards._

"That's not hard."

Kairi took a step forwards.

And the glass shattered around her foot.

"I didn't do it?" She asked meekly.

Creeeeeeeeeeeeek…

Kairi glanced down at her feet, and at the cracks splintering the whole platform.

* * *

**(Missing You; Kingdom Hearts 2 Soundtrack)**

"Roxas?"

_Speaking._

Sora sighed.

"What am I going to do?"

_I don't know. Improvise, think outside the box, use your intuitive, take a chance!_

"That's no help at all!" Sora stood upright. "Can you remember how to make corridors of darkness?"

_Just about._

"Can you teach me?"

_Two problems with that: One, corridors of darkness are a seriously bad idea. They corrupt your heart-_

"I only want to use it once, to get out of here."

_Bringing me to my second point: You, Sora, are way too nice to use corridors of darkness._

"What?" Sora sighed, and flopped back down.

_Maybe DiZ was right- You ARE too nice for your own good._

"Hey! That's not true! There's no such thing as too nice!" Sora shook his head. "It doesn't exist."

_They said nobodies didn't exist, but there you go._

"Different situation. Speaking of nobodies, have you been able to talk to Naminé? At all?"

_Nuh-uh._

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room.

_I'm sure they'll be fine. They're tough, in their own way._

"… I know." Sora shuffled slightly on the floor. "I just miss her, that's all."

…_And Riku._

"Of course 'and Riku'!"

**(End music)**

* * *

_Made me promise I'd try  
To find my way back in this life  
I hope there is away  
To give me a sign you're okay  
Reminds me again  
It's worth it all  
So I can go home_

_All of my memories  
Keep you near  
In silent moments  
Imagine you'd be here  
All of my memories  
Keep you near  
The silent whispers, silent tears_

"WHAT?" Kairi bolted upright. "That was a weird dream…" Kairi sighed and flopped back onto the bed.

_Kairi?_

"Yeah?"

_Look in your left hand._

"Hm?" Kairi turned her head. "HOLY (BEEP)!"

_I didn't know you knew that!_

"Learnt it from Cloud and Leon." Kairi stared at the keyblade in her hand. "That is not the keyblade Riku gave me. How. Did. I. Get. This. Keyblade?" Kairi asked, speaking slowly through her own shock.

_I. Have. No. Idea._

"Are you mocking me?"

_No._

"So, how did I get this keyblade!?"

_Destiny? Fate?_

"Aren't those the same things?" Kairi asked, swinging the keyblade a few more times. "It IS a good keyblade…"

_Are you going to name it? You never named the other one. By the way, the keychain for the other one is on the bed._

"Oh right." Kairi pocketed the keychain. "Okay… I'll call the old one… Radiating Destiny, and this one… Twin Hearts. Fine?"

_Fine._

At that point, the door swung open.

"Heard swearing." Akira explained. "I was curious."

"Do you know anything about keyblades?" Kairi asked.

"Meh. A little bit. Why?" Kairi waved the keyblade in the girl's face. "Wow. Where did that come from?"

"I don't know! I had a dream, and when I woke up, I had this!"

"Lucky." Akira smiled. "The amount of times I've woken up and discovered I've been robbed, AGAIN, and you actually wake up with more stuff than you went to sleep with."

"Robbed again?" Kairi asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Eh. Lived on the streets since I was eleven. So," Akira looked Kairi in the eyes. "Do you want me to take you home?" There was a pause.

"No." Kairi shook her head. "I want to look for Sora and Riku."

"In that case, we better get moving." Akira turned to head to the front of the ship. "Who's driving?"

"You drive."

"OH! Drive!" Akira yelped. "I got something from some fairies, I meant to give it to you earlier, but Kurane showed up and it got all messy." She sprinted to the front of the ship, followed by Kairi. "I put it in my jacket pocket."

"What did you put in your jacket pocket?" Kairi asked, as Akira peeled her jacket off the chair, and reached into the pocket.

"Here." Akira pulled out an orb. "The fairies that made Sora's drive orbs gave me this. I think, since you're a Princess of Heart, you can use any drive form as long as you have this, without any assistance."

"Oh, thanks!" Kairi picked up the orb, and placed it in her pocket. "Have you been preparing for this?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well, you're very organized."

"I knew something was going to happen with Kurane sooner or later." Akira shrugged. "So, I decided to get ready. Now, let's get moving."

"What's the rush?"

"Sooner or later, Leon and the King are going to find out that you legged it. And when they do, they will look for you."

"So, we're running out of time already?" Kairi sighed, getting that sinking feeling.

"Yep." Akira sat down. "It's the green button, right?"

"…"

"It's not the green one."

"Purple."

"Purple one, gotcha!"

* * *

**SW: The songs lyrics are from 'Memories' by Within Temptations. Also, the drive form is from the Dead Fantasy series (Episode two).**

**Kairi: No Sora. It is spelt K-A-I-R-I.**

**Sora: That doesn't sound right.**

**Kairi: Well it IS right!**

**Akira: (Comes flying through the window) We signed a peace treaty.**

**Yuffie: (Also comes flying through the window) Sort of.**

**Cloud: I HAVE THE LAST MARSHMALLOW!!**

**(Stampede ensues)**

**SW: Please reveiw! They make me happy!**

**Sephiroth: I HAVE THE LAST MARSHMALLOW!!**

**Aerith: Don't eat it! You'll-**

**Sephiroth: (Eats it)**

**Aerith: Get hyper.**

**Sephiroth: TEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!! I'M DANCING LIKE A MONKEY!! (Does the conga)**

**Cloud: (Filmes this to put on his YouTube channel.)**


	7. Oodelally!

**SW: This is 'A Princesses Journey', coming to you from-**

**Sora: An airing cupboard.**

**SW: Look, Sephiroth was hyper, there was a lot of debris, screaming, fire and did you want to die?**

**Sora: ...Not really.**

**SW: Sorted. Now, onwards and upwards!**

* * *

"Ow…" Riku's eyes blearily peeled open. "Head hurts… Head REALLY hurts…" He paused. "Where am I? Oh crap. The Castle that Never Was. I thought that it was destroyed-" Riku paused. "Wow. I'm talking to myself again."

"Not true." Riku turned his pounding head to face Maleficent.

"My worst nightmare come true… Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay."

"I do not understand why you despise me." Maleficent smiled. "After all, I gave you everything you wanted… Power, control, the chance to travel like you wanted to… Doesn't even a little part of you want to go back to that?"

"Honestly and truly-- no." Riku shook his head hard. "I'm happier now. I'm still friends with Sora and Kairi-"

"But will they still want to be friends with you," Maleficent chuckled. "After what is about to happen?"

* * *

"I will kill Cloud Strife!" Leon cursed, pacing back and forwards. "He can't pee by himself, and he still manages to cause trouble!"

"I know." Yuffie nodded solemnly, before bursting into a grin. "He's got skills!"

"Yuffie, that is not helpful in any way, shape, or form!" Leon snapped.

"And yet – it is so true." She nodded wisely.

"Leon, just relax, okay?" Tifa said, shoving her head into the room. "The more you worry, the sooner your hair will turn grey!" There was a long silence. "I'm not helping!"

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"How am I supposed to know? You're the one who's driving!" Kairi sighed, glancing out at space.

"Yeesh. You're supposed to be the lookout."

"I am looking out, and I see nothing."

"Well that was all you had to say." Akira shrugged. Kairi noticed something.

"What's that on your hand?"

"Was I drawing on it in my sleep?" Akira glanced down at her hand. "Oh. It's a scar."

"It's a massive scar!"

"Jeez. Thanks. That makes me feel so happy, right here!" Akira placed her hand on her heart dramatically.

"I meant, how did you get it."

"A fight. I gave the other bloke one like it on his hand." Akira smiled grimly. "He got PRETTY annoyed about it."

"Wait." Kairi squinted. "I think I can see something. But it could just be a green gummi ship."

"Has it occurred to you that we are travelling through space with guess work?"

"Yup."

"Scares you a little too?"

"Yup." Kairi tried to focus. "I think it is a world."

"I hope it is a world. Landing on a gummi ship would be highly embarrassing. But funny."

"And dangerous."

"And funny. Funnerous." Kairi stared at her. "I'll land the ship."

"Wait," Kairi paused. "Can you hear singing?"

* * *

_Robin Hood and Little John __  
__Walkin' through the forest__  
__Laughin' back and forth at what the__  
__Other'ne has to say__  
__Reminiscin' this 'n that 'n havin'__  
__Such a good time__  
__Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly__  
__What a day!_

_Never ever thinkin' there was__  
__Danger in the water__  
__They were drinkin', they just__  
__Guzzled it down__  
__Never dreamin' that a schemin'__  
__Sheriff and his posse__  
__Was a watchin' them and__  
__Gatherin' around_

_Robin Hood and Little John __  
__Runnin' through the forest__  
__Jumpin' fences, dodgin' trees__  
__And tryin' to get away__  
__Contemplatin' nothin' but escape__  
__And fin'ly makin' it__  
__Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly__  
__What a day!__  
__Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly__  
__What a day!_

"You know what Robin," Little John said, extracting one of the Sheriffs arrows from his shirt. "You're takin' too many chances."

"Chances!" Robin Hood scoffed. "You must be joking! That was just a bit of a lark Little John."

"Yeah? Take a look at your hat." Robin pulled his hat off his head to see an arrow had also impaled it, leaving a hole. "That ain't exactly a candle on a cake!"

"Hello, this one almost had my name on it." Robin pulled out the arrow, and replaced his hat on his head. "They're getting better though. You've got to admit it. They are getting better."

"Yeah, next time that Sheriff will probably have a rope around our necks!" Little John mimed choking. "UGH! Pretty hard to laugh hanging there Rob."

"Hah," Robin balanced the arrow on his finger. "The Sheriff and his entire posse couldn't lift you off the ground. _En Garde!_" He threw the arrow at Little John, impaling his hat.

"Hey, watch it Rob, that's the only hat I've got!"

"Oh, come along. You worry to much old boy." Robin Hood sighed, slipping down against one of the big branches of the tree.

"Y'know Rob I've been thinking: Are we good guys or bad guys?" Little John scratched his back with the arrow. "You know, I mean, our robbing the rich to feed the poor."

"Rob?" Robin straightened up instantly, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "That's a naughty word! We never rob! We simply…" Robin sank back down. "Simply borrow a bit from those who can afford it."

"Borrow?" Little John snorted. "Boy are we in debt."

**PAR PAR PAR PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!**

The fox's ear pricked up. He clambered upright, leapt up onto Little John's head, and climbed up to the top of the tree, followed by the bear.

A procession marched along the only road into Nottingham, elephants and crocodiles playing trumpets.

"Oh ho ho!" Robin robbed his hands happily. "Sounds like another collection day for the poor, eh Johnny boy?"

"Yeah." Little John removed his hat. "Sweet charity!"

* * *

"Taxes! Taxes!" Prince John threw some more money up into the air. "Beautiful. Lovely, taxes! Aha! Aha!"

"Sire," Hissed… Sir Hiss. (Extremely bad pun NOT intended) "You have an absolute skill for encouraging contributions from the poor."

"To coin a phrase dear counsellor, rob the poor to feed the rich. Am I right?" The Prince and Sir Hiss laughed. "Tell me what is the next stop, Sir Hiss?"

"Let me see…" Hiss slithered over to a map pinned up on the wall of the coach. "Ooh, the next stop is Nottingham, Sire."

"Oh!" Prince John picked up his crown. "The richest plum of them all! Notting - Ahahaha – Ham." He placed the crown on his head, which was too big. It slipped down across his face.

"A perfect fit sire! Most becoming! You look regal, dignified, sincere, masterful, noble, chiv-"

"Uh uh!" He removed the crown from his head. "Don't overdo it Hiss." He flattened his ears, and balanced the crown on them. "There. That, I believe, does it. This crown gives me a feeling of power!" Hiss nodded eagerly. "POWER! Forgive me a cruel chuckle. Ha, ha, ha, ha! Power, hmmm…"

"And how well King Richard's crown sits on your noble brow."

"Doesn't it?" The lion's face suddenly soured. "KING Richard?" He grabbed the stuttering Hiss around the throat. "I've TOLD you never to mention my brother's name!" He dropped Hiss onto the floor.

"A slip of the forked tongue, Your Majesty." Hiss stuttered, chuckling weakly. "We're in this plot together, if you don't mind my saying so, and remember it was your idea I hypnotised him and-"

"I know. And sent him off on that crazy crusade!" Prince John and Hiss laughed happily.

"Much to the sorrow of the Queen Mother?"

"Yes!" Prince John sobbed. "Mother! Mother always did like Richard best…" He moped, before sucking this thumb.

"Your Highness, please, don't do that."

Suck suck suck.

"If you don't mind my saying so, you see, you have a very loud thumb." Hiss tried to explain.

Suck suck suck suck suck suck suck suck.

"Hypnotism can rid you of your psychosis s-s-s-s-s-s-s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o eeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaasssssssssiiiiiiiiiiiillllllyyyyyyyyyyyyy…" Hiss tried his best to hypnotise Prince John to stop sucking his thumb. It worked for a few seconds.

"No!" Prince John yelled, coming to his senses. "None of that! None of that!"

"Well, I was only trying to help."

"Hmph! I wonder. Silly Serpent."

"Silly Serpent?" Hiss repeated.

"Look, one more, one more, Hiss out of you, …uhhh… Hiss, and you will be WALKING to Nottingham."

"Snakes don't walk, they slither." Hiss grumbled to himself, slithering over to his basket. "Hmph! So there!"

* * *

"No wonder it looked like a green gummi ship!" Akira grinned. "It's a forest!"

"A massive one." Kairi commented. "How are we supposed to find anyone in this forest?"

**PAR PARP PAR PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRR!!!!!!!!**

"I stand corrected." Kairi said, as the duo raced towards the sound of the bugle.

"Oo-de-lally! Oo-de-lally! Fortune tellers!"

"Fortunes forecast, lucky charms!"

"Akira?"

"Yeah?"

"Why is there a fox and a bear dressed up in drag?" Kairi asked, ducking behind a bush.

"……I really do not know. And I have this feeling I don't want to know."

"Oh Poppycock! Female bandits what next? Rubbish!" The Lion with a crown on his head said.

"That is so sexist! Women can commit crime just as well as men!" Akira hissed. "I'm going to give that git a piece of my mind!"

"No!" Kairi grabbed her arms. "Have you not seen the guards with the massive axes?"

"Huh? Oh, nope, my eyes immediately went to the blokes in drag. Didn't yours?"

"Yeah, but THEN they went to the guards with the massive axes."

"Oh. That makes sense." Akira agreed. "Wait! The bear in drag is taking off the hub-caps!"

"Why is he doing that?"

"Who knows?" The bear walked over to the chest that the guard were carrying. He looked at it, pulled out a sword, and made a hole in it. He pulled out the front of his dress, and caught the money in it.

"They're robbing the procession!" Kairi gasped. "Right under the guards noses! Why haven't they noticed?"

"One of them has… The bear winked at him… And the Rhino wolf-whistled."

"…Ew." Kairi said, ducking down slightly.

The fox ran out of the coach, with a red robe, and holding several bags of gold. He raced towards the bear, who raced towards him. They crashed into each other, and gold was scattered everywhere. The two looked at each other, before scooping up the gold. At that point, the bloke with a crown on his head, now without clothes looked out of the curtains. The bear and the fox ran for it, laughing and waving goodbye to him.

"Robbed! I've been robbed!" He yelled, pumping his arms in the air. "HISS! You're never around when I need you!" A snake appeared next to the lion. "I've been robbed."

"Of COURSE you've been robbed!" The snake snapped, causing Kairi and Akira to snigger.

"Oo-da-lally! Oo-da-lally!" The fox yelled over his shoulder.

"Fortunes forecast! Lucky charms!" Yelled the bear, waving to the rhino.

"After them you fools!" Screamed the Lion, as the Rhino's very very very very very slowly worked out what was going on (At last) and charged.

However, none of them had worked out that the hub-caps had been stolen.

Now, hub-caps are very important. They keep the wheels on.

So without them, the wheel's flew off the coach, sending the lion and the snake sprawling into the mud, and then trampled by rhino's who do not look where they are going.

"I knew it." The snake hissed, grabbing his hat on putting it back on his head. "I just knew this would happen! I tried to warn you but you just wouldn't listen-" He broke off as he saw the lion grab a hand mirror and lift it up. "Ah! Ah! Seven years bad-"

**_SMASH!!_**

"-Luck. That's what it is." He muttered weakly. "Besides, you've broken your mother's mirror."

"AAAAAAAAAH! MUMMY!!!" The lion burst into tears, and sucked his thumb. "I've got a dirty thumb."

"He seems mature." Kairi muttered. "So, who should we follow? The lion, or the fox and bear in drag?"

"The fox and bear in drag seem more interesting." Akira muttered. "And they're not screaming 'MUMMY'!"

"But he could do with some help-"

"Kairi, are you a phyciatrist?"

"No, but-"

"I am also not a phyciatrist. So. We cannot help him." Akira stood up. "Leg's gone to sleep. Let's move."

"Can't we at least help him stand up?" Kairi protested.

"YOU can. I won't." She walked into the woods. "C'mon!"

"No, I'm going to help him up."

"Okay then. See you later." And with that, Akira walked into the forest. Kairi rolled her eyes and walked over to the lion.

"Can I help you up?" She asked, politely you understand.

"No! Do not touch the Royal Hand! You're trying to steal my gold!" The Royal Lion snapped, still sucking on his thumb. "I will get the guards!"

"Okay then." Kairi turned, and headed back into the forest. "People just can't be nice anymore."

"Warned you!" Akira chimed from behind a tree. "C'mon! Cross dressers are dead ahead!"

"Who said the cross dressers are going to be nice?"

"Hm…" Akira scratched her chin thoughtfully. "That makes sense! Nice job!" And with that, she walked on.

……_It's scary how many nutters you know._

"There has to be," Sora explained, hitting one of the stone walls with his fist. "Another way out of here. Because," Sora kicked the wall. "There is no way that woman dragged Riku and I in here through a dark portal."

_What makes you think that?_

"Because she's not nice enough." Sora kicked the wall again.

_Maybe she had help._

"You suck at reassuring people." Sora frowned. "I've got an idea!"

_Not another one!_

"This can't just be a brick room floating around in space, right?"

_Probably not._

"Exactly. There has to be somewhere behind this wall." Sora grinned. "So we break it down!"

…………_How?_

"……………………Uh…………………………… That is an excellent question." Sora paused to think. "Oh! You know 'A Series of Unfortunate Events'?"

_That sums up our situation quite well._

"Well, there's one part when they're locked in a cell, just like we are!"

_Uh-huh._

"What they did, was they wore down the cement with water! We could do that!"

_I remember that. However, there is no water, no ramp, and no sponge._

"I could cast Blizzaga and then melt it with Firaga. I can do that as many times as needed, and then I can use my keyblade as a ramp." Sora summoned his keyblade.

_Sounds mad._

"Have you got a better idea?"

_Sadly, no._

"Then I better get started."

* * *

"Where's your hat?"

"Hat? Oh, yes I gave it to Skippy. It's his birthday today."

"Oh, I see!"

Kairi and Akira looked wildly left to right, dodging water gushing down from the waterfall.

"Where are they?" Akira muttered. "Is there such a thing as invisibility spell?"

"You don't think…" Kairi ducked behind the waterfall. "Look! There's a gap in the rock!"

"Oh, crafty." Akira followed Kairi. "Whoa! Slippery back here!"

"I know. That's because it's a waterfall."

"Yeah, still- wak!" Akira grabbed hold of a nearby rock to stop herself from falling over again. "Don't expect it to be that slippery." Kairi rolled her eyes (she had a feeling this was going to be a typical response to Akira) and slid through the gap in the rock.

"Are you coming?"

"Look, Kairi, balancing on a slippery rock was never one of my strong points, trust me." Akira slid through the gap in the rock. "Is it one of yours?"

"I'm good at gymnastics if that's what you mean."

The duo slipped out of the gap into a small opening in the woods.

"La, da, di, da, da, da, di, da, dum, Da, da, hm, hm, hm, hm." The fox, now thankfully back into normal clothes, was stirring a pot of some sort of soup.

"Lover boy." Muttered the bear, hanging up some clothes. Kairi and Akira sneaked up to the washing line. "How's that grub comi- WAK!!!" The bear bellowed, seeing Akira and Kairi for the first time. The fox snapped out of his thoughts.

"Hola!" Akira said, after a silence.

"We're sorry to interrupt, but we saw you robbing the coach earlier, and we were wondering why you were doing that." Kairi smiled. "I'm Kairi, and this is my… acquaintance, Akira."

"Bonjour Mounsier- Kairi, what's French for fox? And bear, when it comes to that?"

"I don't know, I took Spanish in school." Kairi hissed.

"I am Robin Hood." Robin Hood bowed. "And this is my dear friend, Little John."

_Very charming for a cross-dressing, robbing fox._ Naminé muttered.

"And we never rob." Robin Hood shook his head. "We just borrow bits from those who can afford it."

"So, rob?"

"The rich!" Little John interjected. "We rob the rich to feed the poor!"

"Oh, that's not so bad!" Kairi scratched her chin. "Pretty good actually."

"Who's Skippy?"

"A child in Nottingham."

"What's Nottingham?"

"………" Robin Hood and Little John exchanged a glance. "You're from out of England, yes?" Robin Hood inquired. "France maybe? Or Spain?"

"France." Akira said with a firm nod. "Well, I am. Kairi is from Spain. Very sunny there. Tell me Kairi, why _does_ the rain in Spain fall mainly on the plain?"

"…Anyway," Kairi beamed at Little John and Robin Hood. "Has anything strange happened here lately?"

"Well, Prince John is visiting, but that isn't very unusual."

"Speaking of which," A Badger wearing a monks habit. "I've come here to tell you something!"

"Kairi, Akira, this is our friend, Friar Tuck."

"Bonjour." Akira said complacently.

"Nice to meet you." Friar Tuck turned to Robin Hood. "There's going to be a big to-do in Nottingham! Old Prince John is having an archery tournament tomorrow."

"Archery tournament?" Little John laughed. "Why, ol' Rob could win that standing on his head!"

"Thank you Little John." Robin Hood gave a small bow. "But I'm sure we're not invited."

"No, but there's someone who will be very disappointed if you don't come."

"Yeah, old bushel britches, the honourable Sherriff of Nottingham."

"No. Maid Marion."

"Maid Marion?" Robin Hood eye's lit up.

"Yeah, she's going to give a kiss to the winner." Friar Tuck laughed.

"Kiss to the winner?" Robin Hood did several cartwheels. "Oo-de-lally! Come on Johnny, what are we waiting for?!"

"Hang on a sec Rob, that place will be crawling with soldiers!"

"Ah, but remember," Robin grabbed a bow and arrows, leaping onto a tree. "Faint heart never won fair lady."

_I think him and Sora met!_

"Fear not my friends!" Robin fired an arrow. "This will be my greatest performance!" The arrow rebounded off many objects, and pierced Robin's hat that he had thrown into the air.

"We'll help!" Kairi volunteered.

"Ah! Noble hearts indeed!" Robin smiled. "Come, we must plan!"

"Yes, but before you do that, there's something very important you should know." Akira smiled.

"Which is?"

"Your food is on fire."

* * *

**Cloud: Leon hates me?**

**SW: Calm down drama king!**

**Cloud: He HATES me?!**

**SW: I say I hate people all the time, I never mean it, now shut up before Sephiroth finds us!**

**Yuffie: Shhuusshh!**

**SW: (Whispering) Thank you for the reviews! This story is so much fun to write, and I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy you like it too!**

**Kairi: SunflowerWielder does not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Robin Hood, or Disney. Akira is the only thing she owns.**

**SW: By the way, there is a piece of information in this chapter that is important later on in the story. See if you can work out what it is-**

**Sephiroth: (Burns down the airing cupboard door) BOOYAKA!!!!!!**

**Everyone: (Except Cloud, who is still filming this) ****AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	8. The Golden Arrow

**SW: Hi, we're back in the living room, because Sephiroth calmed down.**

**Kairi: By 'Calmed Down', she means he saw Cloud's hair, thought he was a chocobo, tried to ride him, and Cloud knocked him out.**

**SW: 'Calmed down' is shorter than that whole thing. 'k?**

**Sora: When do I escape?**

**SW: No comment.**

**Riku: When do I escape?**

**SW: See above. Let's rock and roll.**

**

* * *

**

_Sora, this is taking forever._

"Shush! I'm concentrating!" Sora ran another pool of water down his keyblade onto the bricks. "How long have I been doing this?"

_Two hours._

"Ack." Sora knelt down and rubbed at the wall. "Go gooey, damn you!"

_That's it Sora! Tell that wall what's what!_

"Shut. Up."

* * *

The plans had been made. Arrows sharpened, villagers alerted, and (Akira maintained this was the most important point), the fire had been put out.

Still…

"Maybe this was a bad idea." Kairi muttered, kicking a stone hard. It was midnight, and she couldn't sleep.

"It was _your_ idea." Akira muttered, lying face down on the ground, halfway between being asleep and being awake.

"Yeah, but shouldn't we be looking for Sora?"

"You did promise."

"I know." Kairi flopped down onto the grass. "Still…"

There was silence for a while.

"Akira?"

"Mm?"

"Where did you come from?"

"Hm?"

"Which world?"

"Oh." Akira shrugged. "It's long gone. Doesn't matter."

"Just wondering."

"Are you a night-owl or something?" Akira sighed, sitting upright.

"I just…" Kairi shrugged. "Miss home, I suppose. And I don't sleep when I'm nervous."

"What's to be nervous about? We're going to help sneak two outlaws into a highly guarded archery tournament, in front of the King they robbed a few days ago. What's to be worried about?"

"…… ALL of it!"

* * *

Lenne played a few more notes.

"_I know that you're hiding things,_

_Using gentile wor-"_

She sighed and shook her head.

"_I acted so distant then,_

_Didn't say goodbye bef-"_

Lenne sighed sharply, and slammed the piano lid down with extreme force. She rubbed her head, wondering when that nagging headache would go away.

"_**A few days."**_

"_**A few days?!"**_

"_**A few days, absolute maximum!"**_

"… _**Oh, fine."**_

"It is," Lenne scolded herself. "Absolutely ridiculous. Kairi will be fine. She's with her friends, and they're not going to just going to let her get hurt." She nodded, opening the piano lid again. "Focus!"

"_'Cause a thousand words  
Called out through the ages  
They'll fly to you  
Even Though I can see  
I Know they're reaching you  
Suspended on silver wings_

Oh a thousand words  
One thousand embraces  
Will cradle you  
Making all of your weary days seem far away  
They'll hold you forever........"

* * *

"Akira?"

"Mm?"

"Are you awake?"

"I am now." Akira rolled onto her back. "Still can't sleep?"

"Not really." Kairi sighed.

There was silence.

"If you must know, it was called Pulse."

More silence.

"How is it still gone?"

"Huh?"

"All the world's were restored-"

"Heartless didn't get it. There was a war." Akira's voice was barely a whisper. "We lost."

Another silence.

"I'm sorry." Kairi said numbly, for want of something better to say.

"You didn't start the war, did you?" Akira snorted. "Honestly."

"Anything I can do?"

"Yeah."

"What's that?"

"GO TO SLEEP!"

* * *

"Hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag hag stupid hag." Riku muttered, kicking the wall in time with his words.

"That. Stupid. HAG." Riku kicked the wall extra hard. "OW!" Riku grabbed his foot and muttered a few choice curses under his breath. He sighed sharply. "What now?"

* * *

"Kairi. Kairi. Kairi! KAIRI!!!"

"What?" Kairi's head shot up, glaring slightly at Akira, who had been shaking her to get her awake. "What is it?"

"Wake up." Akira grinned. "Time to sneak two outlaws into a Royal Archery contest!"

"Oh fun." Kairi sat upright. "Okay, I'm getting up, I'm getting up."

"Get up faster."

"I am not a morning person."

"Well I am. Which is tough for you, I am sure."

"It is." Kairi stood up. "It's also annoying. Are you always cheerful?"

"I am cheerful more than I am not cheerful." Akira's grin grew wider. "What about you?"

"I'm fine when I'm not worrying about smuggling outlaws into Royal archery tournaments."

"Hm. Touché."

* * *

"Sire," Hiss stuttered, picking his words carefully. "Are you sure this is completely wise?"

"The sheriff has complete faith in them." Prince John explained, straightening his crown in the Royal Mirror.

"But sire…" Hiss gulped. "I mean… they're… well… the Royal Guards have never failed befor-"

"They failed against Robin Hood!" Prince John yelled. "That is exactly who they must NOT fail against." He chuckled. "Do not worry. I can control the heartless."

"But sire-"

"Are you questioning me Hiss?!"

"N- N- NO Sire, of course not, your Majesty."

"Good." Prince John smirked happily. "When is Maid Marion due to arrive at the tournament?"

* * *

Kairi, Akira, Robin Hood and Little John ducked behind one of the many tents scattered around the field, offering entertainment for the spectators.

"Who do you think is Maid Marion?" Akira muttered.

"I'd say it's the vixen."

"Mm?"

A young vixen and a chicken walked by the tent.

"That her?" Akira asked.

"Well, look at Robin." Kairi jerked her thumb towards the fox, who was leaning forwards to get a better look at the vixen.

"Oh, Clucky I'm so excited!" The group could barely hear her say, before a loud trumpet was sound-tested next to them.

"Oi!" Akira turned to face the trumpet player. "If you're going to play the trumpet, play it well, not everyone likes the sound of strangled cats!"

"Isn't she beautiful?" Robin asked, staring after Maid Marion. He made to start forwards-

"Cool it lover boy!" Little John reprimanded, dragging Robin Hood backwards. "Your heart's runnin' away with your head!"

"Oh stop worrying!" Robin tied the beak to his face. "This disguise would fool my own mother."

"Yeah, but your mom ain't here! YOU have got to fool ol' bushel britches!" Little John pointed towards the sheriff.

"Hm…" Robin made the final finishing touches to his costume, elbowed Little John slightly, and hobbled up confidently to the sheriff.

"Was a bird really the best disguise?" Kairi muttered, praying that Robin wouldn't lose his balance.

"It's not a bird, it's a stork." Akira pointed out. Kairi raised an eyebrow.

"A stork is a bird."

"Sheriff yur honour?" Robin asked, putting on a strong accent. "Meetin' ya face ta face is a real treat! A real treat!"

"Why thank you." The sheriff chuckled. "Excuse me, I have to go win this tournament."

"He's not a bad actor." Kairi said. "That or the sheriff is really stupid."

"I plead the second." Akira grinned. "Okay, so we help Friar Tuck and Allen-a-Dale, right?"

"Correct." Little John pulled on an ugly looking wig. "But watch this little number I put on for Prince John." Little John puffed himself up, and headed towards the Royal Box. "Ah, me Lord!" Little John said in a strong French accent. "My esteemed Royal Sovereign of the Realm! The head man himself! You're beautiful!"

"Ha ha!" Prince John chuckled happily. "Oh, he has style, hey hiss? Ahem, 'Les blaireaux et les personnes comme de grandes usines de croisillons sont'."

"Heh heh! You took the words right out of my mouth P.J."

"P.J!" Prince John's face lit up. "P.J., I like that, do you know, I do! Hiss, put that on my luggage! P.J., aha ha! Ha ha! P.J. yes."

"Hmph." Hiss slithered over to Little John. "And you. Who might you be Sir?"

"I am Sir Reginald, Duke of Chutney." Little John took off Sir Hiss's hat and shoved it over his mouth. "And don't stick your tongue out at me kid."

* * *

"So what now?" Akira asked, looking extremely bored.

"If one of the Royal lot try to find out about Robin Hood, we stop them." Kairi explained, looking around the field at the parade being put on by the elephants and crocodiles. "I think I understand."

"The plan?"

"No," Kairi shook her head. "I mean, I think I understand why Riku and Sora were so bored when they came back to the islands. This is… Wow."

"Pssht." Akira elbowed Kairi in the ribs. Kairi watched as the snake, Sir Hiss, slithered across the grass, muttering angrily.

"What a cheek! 'Creepy'. 'Buster'? 'Long one'? Who does that dopey duke think he is?"

"Now he's up to something." Allen-A-Dale said.

"Yeah! Come on!" Friar Tuck gestured, and the group set off.

They searched all over the fairground, but Sir Hiss was nowhere in sight.

"Here snaky snaky!" Akira sang, looking under a rock.

"Over there!" Friar Tuck pointed to a balloon stall. Hiss had his head in the balloon. Obviously pleased with his plan, he blew the balloon up, and floated into the air, using his tail as a propeller.

* * *

Maid Marian sat on the chair, watching all of the archers walking past.

"Ah, yur ladyship!" A gangly stork lumbered up to her, pulled out a daisy and handed it to her. "I beg yur pardon; It's an honor ta be shooting for the honor of a lovely lady like yurself." At which the stork lowered his voice, and the accent vanished. "I hope I get the kiss."

"Oh!" Marian smiled. "Well, thank you my thin-legged archer. I wish you luck." She leant forwards and whispered. "With all my heart."

Sir Hiss hovered over the pair.

"Hm. I wonder…" And with that, he flew off, with Firar Tuck, Allen-A-Dale, Kairi and Akira in hot pursuit.

"I think we're going to have to use stealth and cunning." Kairi pondered, jogging after the balloon.

"Great!" Akira sighed deeply. "TWO things I'm bad at."

* * *

A crocodile waddled up to Prince John, with a pompous air, carrying the golden arrow on a purple cushion.

"Your majesty, with your royal permission, we are ready to begin."

"Proceed captain!" Little John smiled, satisfied that his plan would come to success.

"The tournament of the Golden Arrow will now begin." A massive cheer went up from the crowd, and trumpets started playing. Akira placed her fingers in her ears.

The archers lifted their bows into the air and fired. Arrows slammed into the targets, and the crowd started cheering again.

The sheriff fired a near-bulls eye, causing the crowd to jeer and boo.

The stork, a.k.a Robin Hood, fired an arrow, and got a bulls eye. The crowd, who were not stupid, knew it was Robin Hood, and cheered. Hiss, who was hiding behind a tree, began to become more suspicious. As did Prince John.

"A perfect bulls eye." Prince John rubbed his chin. "Well, well."

"Heh heh! That's what you call pulling it back and letting it go, huh PJ."

"Oh, where the hell is that snake!?" Kairi sighed, running her hands through her hair as she did when she was frustrated.

"Up high in the sky!" Kairi turned and glared at Akira. "Not a fan of poetry, huh?"

* * *

"I'm gonna win that golden arrow, and then I'm gonna present meself to the lovely Maid Marian-"Robin Hood chattered excitedly to himself, putting the Sheriff of Nottingham off.

"Listen scissorbill. If you shoot half as well as you blabbermouth you're better than Robin Hood!"

"Robin Hood he says!" Robin grinned. "Wowee! I'm tip top alright, but I'm not as good as he is!" That was BEFORE he shot his second bulls eye.

"Ha ha!" Little John laughed loudly, hoping that Prince John wasn't getting suspicious. Why did Robin ALWAYS have to do more than he has to? "That kid's got class. Ain't he PJ?"

"Indeed he has Reggie." Prince John chuckled. "Bravo! Bravo, yes."

"Oh, by the way…" Robin asked casually, pulling out an arrow. "I hear you're havin' a bit o' trouble gettin' yur hands on that Robin Hood."

"He's SCARED of me, that's what it is." The sheriff boasted. "You notice he didn't show up here today." As the sheriff spoke, Sir Hiss sneaked up behind Robin Hood. "I could spot him through those phoney disguises."

"It's him!" Sir Hiss exclaimed. "It's Robin Hood!" He flew towards the Royal Box. "I can't wait till I tell his majesty!"

Allen-A-Dale pulled out his lute, and Friar Tuck grabbed a arrow.

Using the lute as a bow, and with some nifty aim, Friar Tuck shot down the balloon.

"I got him!" Kairi yelled, grabbing the snake as he fell from the sky.

"In here." Akira tapped a barrel she had been leaning against. "There's a hole."

"Unhand me you-" Kairi pulled the cork out of the hole, shoved Hiss into the barrel, and replaced the cork.

"Let's go." The group left to rejoin the crowd.

"Please." Hiss said as they walked away from the barrel of ale. "I don't drink."

* * *

"Attention everyone!" The crocodile announced. "The final contestants are… the honourable sheriff of Nottingham…" The sheriff beamed, stepped forwards and bowed.

**_"BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_** Yelled the crowd, causing the wolf to frown. Their taxes were going up!

"… And the spindle legged stork from Devonshire!"

**_"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_** Yelled the crowd, as Robin Hood turned and waved to the crowd. He then turned and waved at Maid Marian, causing her to beam and wave back.

"Me dear, I suspect you favour the gangly youth." Prince John smiled, with a crocodile smile, which is most unusual for a lion.

"Uh, why yes sire." Marian smiled slightly, not letting much away. "Well, at least he amuses me."

"Coincidently my dear lady, he amuses me too." Marian didn't let her face fall, but gulped slightly.

'_This,'_ she thought, '_is not good.'_

"For the final shootout," The crocodile's voice snapped through her thoughts. "move the target back three paces!"

"You heard him Nutsy get goin'!" The sheriff bellowed at a nearby vulture guard. "Move it you bird-brain!" He dropped his voice down to a horse whisper as the vulture stepped into the target box. "And remember what you're supposed to do."

"Yes, sir, sheriff, sir!" The vulture garbled, hopping backwards three paces.

The sheriff fired his arrow, which was way too high. However, Nutsy leapt up into the air, so he got a perfect bulls eye.

**_"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"_** Jeered the crowd, as Marian clenched her fists.

"Heh heh heh. Well, that shot wins the golden arrow, the kiss, and the whole caboodale." Snickered the sheriff, as Robin lined up to make his shot. As Robin went to shoot, the sheriff hit the bow, causing it to go wildly off course.

"Poor Maid Marian." Kairi sighed.

"Yeah. I guess they don't call him bristle butches for nothing."

Robin, never one to give up, shot another arrow, which collided with the original. It knocked the original down, down…

Onto the target for a perfect bulls eye.

**_"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!"_** Cheered the crowd loudly.

"He did it, he did it!" Friar Tuck yelled happily.

"Awesome!" Akira grinned, punching the air. "I told you there was nothing to worry about Kairi!"

Maid Marian hugged Clucky, as Prince John and the Royal crocodile exchanged a look. The crocodile nodded, and whispered into the ears of the rhinos.

Robin grinned under his beak, and marched up to the royal box, escorted by the guards.

"Such a show off." Kairi grinned weakly. "God, he's just like Sora and Riku!"

"Archer, I commend you. And because of your superior skill you shall get what is coming to you." Prince John chuckled as Maid Marian and Robin Hood smiled at each other. "Our Royal congratulations."

"Oh thank you kindly your highness!" Robin grabbed Prince John's hand and shook it wildly. "Meetin' ya face to face you high and mighty is a real treat-"

"Release the Royal fingers." Prince John snapped, snatching his hand away, and picking up a sword. "And now I name you the winner," He smiled as Robin Hood bowed. "Or, more appropriately," He put the sword under the collar of Robin's coat and cut it away, revealing a fox standing on stilts. "The loser!"

A massive gasp went up from the crowd, and Akira winced.

"My bad."

"Seize him." Prince John ordered, and the guards grabbed Robin and tied him up.

"I sentence you to sudden, instant, and even immediate death!" He bellowed, his eyes lighting up.

"Oh, no!" Maid Marian gasped as tears started to form in her eyes. "Please. Please sire, I beg of you to spare his life, have mercy."

"My dear emotional lady, why should I?"

"Because I love him, Your Highness."

"Love him?" Prince John acted shocked. "And does this prisoner return your love?" There was barely a pause.

"Marian, my darling, I love you more than life itself." He said confidently.

"Ah, young love." Prince John sighed. "Your pleas have not fallen on a heart of stone."

"Yeah right!" Hissed Kairi, scowling at the lion.

"But traitors to the crown, must die-"

"Traitor to the crown, that crown belongs to King Richard!" Robin Hood spat back. "Long live King Richard!"

**_"LONG LIVE KING RICHARD!!!!"_**

"Enough!" Prince John bellowed. "I am king! King, king! OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!!"

An overweight Rhino headed towards Robin Hood, as a Hippo started up a slow drumbeat on his drums. Everyone stared horrified. There was no noise except Marian's sobs.

"Oh no…" Marian whimpered.

"Stop! Executioner! Stop! Hold your axe!"

"Okay, big shot." Little John said, placing his dagger against Prince John's back, behind the royal box. "Tell them to untie my buddy, or else I'll…"

"Eek! Sheriff, release my buddy- **GURK!** I mean release, the prisoner!"

"Untie the prisoner?" The sheriff stared, flabbergasted.

"Where's Little John?" Kairi whispered. Akira grinned.

"You heard what he said, bushel britches!" Lady Cluck yelled, leaping onto the arm of her chair.

"Sheriff! I make the rules! And since I'm the head m- **URK!!**" Prince John dropped his voice to a whisper. "Not so hard you mean thing!"

Poke.

"Let him go! For heaven's sake, let him go!!"

"Yeeehoo!" Lady Cluck yelled, jumping up in the air as Robin Hood was untied. "Love conquers all!"

**_"HOOOOOOORRAAAAAAAAAAAYY!!!!!!"_** Yelled the crowd as Robin Hood ran towards Maid Marian and gave her a hug.

"I owe my life to you my darling." Said Robin.

"I couldn't have lived without you." Maid Marian replied. Akira mimed throwing up. Kairi just gave her a weak glare.

"There's somthin' funny going on here…" The sheriff frowned and walked behind the Royal Box.

"Now, you tell my buddy to kiss Maid Marian, or I've got a new pin cushion…" Little John explained, the knife still against the Prince's back.

"Why you!" The sheriff swung at Little John, making him drop the knife.

**_"ENOUGH!! HEARTLESS!!! KILL HIM!!!"_** Yelled the Prince, and the air was filled with the sound of heartless appearing.

"Oh great." Kairi muttered, summoning Twin Hearts. With a yell, she leapt into the fray, and killed two Armoured Heartless immediately. "This is going to take a while."

* * *

"Run for it lassie!" Lady Cluck commanded Maid Marian, grabbing the Golden Arrow. "This is no place for a lady!" And the second Maid Marian was out of sight, she rammed the arrow into a nearby neo-shadow. The sheriff ran up behind her, and Lady Cluck preformed a impressive piece of judo. "Take that you scoundrel!"

"Help!" Maid Marian was being chased by several Lance Soldiers. "Robin help me!"

And then Robin swooped - that's right – swooped down on a piece of rope and pulled her up to the Royal Box.

"Marian my darling," Robin asked casually batting away a few heartless. "Will you marry me?"

"Darling I thought you'd never ask!" The canopy collapsed and the duo were throw down into the Royal Throne, which had thankfully been emptied earlier. "Although you could have picked a more romantic setting."

"And for our honeymoon," Robin leapt out of the throne, followed by Marian before grabbing the throne. "London;"

"Yes!"

"Normandy, sunny Spain!" He grinned, throwing the throne onto several heartless.

"Why not?" She laughed, taking his arm.

* * *

"Kairi!" Akira yelled, slashing through a Red Nocturne.

"Yes?!"

"The drive orb!"

"Oh." Kairi paused and slashed through a Blue Rhapsody. "How do I use it?"

"……… Confession."

"Which is?"

"I don't know because I… 'borrowed' the orb."

"You STOLE an orb?!"

"Steal is a harsh word." Akira sighed. "Accurate, but harsh. Yeah, I stole it, and yeah, I am not proud of it." There was a pause except the noises of fighting. "Maybe a little bit proud."

"Oh for pity's sake!" Kairi sighed and grabbed the orb from inside her pocket.

**SHINK!**

"Whoa." Kairi looked down at her dress, which was now red and black. "Nice." And with that, she launched herself at a group of shadows.

"Who's driving this flying umbrella?" Yelled Little John, riding past the duo on a circus tent full of elephant guards.

Kairi threw her keyblades, Twin Hearts and Radiating Destiny, at the nearby sheriff and summoned them back to her hand.

"Everybody this way!" Robin Hood yelled, running past them holding Maid Marian's hand. Kairi paused, and threw the keyblades at the Sheriff once more.

"Git!" She reprimanded, before turning and running.

"Attention everyone-" The crocodile began, before getting run over by the sea of people.

"Stop the girl!" Prince John yelled, recognising Kairi and pointing at her, before having an arrow shot into his behind by Skippy. "OH!" He whimpered, not noticing Lady Cluck coming up behind him.

"Take that you scurvy knave!" She bellowed, hitting Prince John over the head with the arrow, then running.

"Seize the fat one!" **(Best line ever in a Disney movie!)**

A group of rhino's charged at Lady Cluck, and Lady Cluck went into sprint mode towards them.

She elbowed two rhinos out of the way, then leapt up, causing four rhinos to collide with each other. She hit one in the face, quickly followed by another one.

**_"HOOOOORAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!"_** Yelled the crowd, whistleing and cheering like maniacs.

Lady Cluck dodged two rhinos, hit another two in the face, and gave a victory holler.

One rhino grabbed her… undergarments, and pulled on them in an attempt to drag her back. Unfazed, she flew away, evading the final rhino, who ran into a rock. She landed by the forest edge.

**_"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_**

"Long live King Richard! Yee-hoo!" Lady Cluck yelled, leaping in the air, before Little John reached out, and dragged her into the forest seconds before arrows slammed into the trees.

"HISS!" Yelled Prince John from behind the Ale barrel. "You're never around when I need you!"

"Coming. Coming." Hiss's voice echoed woozily from inside the said barrel. "Hee hee hee. For I'm a jolly good fellow, for I'm a jolly good… Hee hee." Prince John unplugged the cork, and out popped a very drunk hiss. "Oh! Oh there you are old boy! P.J., you won't believe this, but the stork is really Robin Hood!"

"Robin. Hood." Muttered Prince John, clenching his fists with a face like a sour lemon. "Heh heh heh…" Prince John was verging on anger and hysterics. He went for anger. "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!" He grabbed Hiss and tied him around a pole. "Get out of that, if you can."

* * *

**SW: Tee-hee. 'Seize the fat one'... (Has a laughing fit)**

**Riku: SunflowerWeiler doesn't own ANYTHING except Akira.**

**SW: (Recovering from laughing fit) And for Kairi's outfit when she's in valor form, see 'Dead Fantasy II'. Which I also do not own.**

**Lady Cluck: (Appears out of nowhere) Flame and meet the same end as the rhinos! (Disappears)**

**Sora: OH MY GOD! SEPHIROTH IS COMING AROUND!!!**

**Everyone: AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!**


	9. Jailbreak?

**SW: Okay, so I was slightly off when I said the next chapter would be soon-**

**Sora: Several weeks off actually.**

**SW: .........Silence.**

**Yuffie: Silence because you don't want to argue, or silence because we're hiding from Sephiroth in your shed?**

**SW: Both. Anyway, I have two good reasons for why this chapter is so late: (1) The computer crashed. (2) This is the longest chapter I HAVE EVER WRITTEN!! SEVENTEEN PAGES!!!**

**Aerith: Shush! Otherwise-**

**(Sephiroth smashes through the shed wall)**

**Aerith: -Sephiroth will hear you.**

**Sephiroth: CHOOOOOOOOOCCCCCCCCOOOOOOOLLLLLLLAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**SW: ...... Bugger. SOMEONE START THE CHAPTER ALREADY!!**

* * *

BANG!

"OW!" Riku staggered back from the door and fell back onto the floor. "What is it with the doors in this place? Why are they so hard?" Riku sighed and summoned his keyblade. "Please may there be a lock, please be a lock…"

Nothing happened.

"Damnit!" Riku stood up and kicked the door. "OW! OH HELLS BLIMMIN' BELLS!!" He flopped back down.

* * *

Kurane sat atop a table in a deeply dark room, thinking hard.

"Ma'am?" A man wearing a purple uniform with a black helmet, similar to those motorcyclists wear, marched into the room. "We have found the princesses current location."

"Which is?"

"Sherwood Forest."

"Hm…" Kurane scratched her chin. "Interesting. Tell me, did Prince John use the heartless?"

"Ah, yes." The man nodded, before gulping in anticipation of the next question.

"Were they successful?"

"Ah." He gulped again. "Not as such." Kurane spun and glared at him.

"What do you mean by 'Not as such'?"

"Ah…" He gulped again. "There were no casualties-"

"NO CASUALTIES!!!?!" Kurane leapt to her feet and pulled out the Murasama. "ARE YOU A NURSE OR A WARRIOR!?!?"

"A- A- A warrior ma'am."

"Then start ACTING LIKE ONE!!" Kurane yelled, waving the Murasama in his face. "So? What happened?"

"They escaped. The Princess of Light was able to use a drive form."

"Really?" Kurane scratched her chin. "That's interesting… And the other one?"

"No, she did not use any powers."

"Hm…" She paced the room, thinking hard. "Go to Prince John. Tell him I will give him the forces needed to get Robin Hood's head on a platter, IF he delivers the girls to me. Understand?"

"Perfectly." And with a bow, the warrior started to back out of the room. Kurane suddenly raised a hand.

"Wait… Akira was sighted near Yen Sid's tower not too long ago." Kurane was silent for a while. "Of course! Yen Sid, that stupid old man! Leave an anonymous message for Yen Sid, telling him that a person with hostile intentions stole a Drive Orb. Make sure he gets that message, understand?"

"Indeed I do." And before she could say anything else, the warrior hastily backed out of the room.

* * *

"Ow…"

"What's wrong?" Kairi whispered, kneeling behind a rock with Akira and Lady Cluck.

"My leg's gone to sleep." Akira muttered, shaking her foot hard. "Damn it."

"Well, don't cross your legs when kneeling."

"But it's comfortable."

"I thought you said you had pins and needles."

"Apart from that, it's comfortable." Akira said fidgeting.

"Shush lassies!" Lady Cluck hissed, causing the two girls to fall into a sudden silence.

"Okee-dokee then!" Akira muttered, rubbing her leg. "Damn circulation, move faster!"

"Shush!" There was a hushed whisper. "They're coming." Silence fell over the citizens of Nottingham as the couple approached.

"Oh Robin," Marian sighed happily. "What beautiful night! I wish it would never end."

"SURPRISE!!" Yelled Friar Tuck, leaping out from behind a rock and giving Robin Hood and Maid Marian heart attacks. "LONG LIVE ROBIN HOOD!!"

"Yay! Yay!" Two mice crawled out of his hood. "And long live Maid Marian! Bravo!"

"HEAR HEAR!! BRAVO!!! BRAVO!!" The citizens of Nottingham leapt up and cheered, as did Kairi and Akira.

"And down with that scurvy Prince John!" Lady Cluck yelled, pointing her wings down to emphasise her point. At which point, the band started up.

"_Oh the world will sing,_

_Of an English King,_

_A thousand years from now!"_ Little John sang cheerfully, strumming a guitar.

"_And not because he passed some laws,_

_Or had that lofty brow._

_While bonny good King Richard leads,_

_The Great Crusade is on!_

_We'll all have to stay away from that good-for-nothing John!"_ Marian smiled and took the hand of Otto, a dog who had recently broken his leg, as everyone started to dance.

"_Incredible as he is inept,_

_Whenever the history books are kept,_

_They'll call him the Phoney King of England!"_

"A POX ON THE PHONEY KING OF ENGLAND!!!" Yelled the villagers, as a curtain pulled away from a gap in two trees to reveal a puppet Prince John jumping up and down – Right before his crown fell down. The villagers burst out laughing, as Friar Tuck, the puppet master, righted the crown, and ducked back down.

Otto popped his hand up with a sock Sir Hiss.

"_He sits alone,_

_On a giant throne,_

_Pretending he's the King."_ Sock Hiss was higher than Puppet Prince John, so Prince John grabbed him around the throat and pulled him down.

"_A little tyke, who's rather like,_

_A puppet on a string."_ Sock Hiss then popped up, and blew a fizzy thing in his face.

"_And he throws an angry tantrum if he cannot have his way."_ Indignant at this treatment, Puppet Prince John beat him with a stick. Sock Hiss grabbed the stick and hit Puppet Prince John with it.

"_And then he calls for his mom,_

_While sucking his thumb."_ Injured Puppet Prince John began to suck his thumb.

"_You see, he doesn't want to play._

_Too late to be known as John the First, _

_He's sure to be known as John the Worst!_

_A pox on that phoney King of England!"_

* * *

"Some party." Kairi sighed, flopping onto the ground now that silence had fallen over the forest.

"Yep." Akira seemed to be doing some form of yoga. "Lots of laughs. And puppet abuse."

"Mm." Kairi was quiet. "Sora would have loved this."

"Probably." Akira looked up at the sky. "Something's missing."

"What?" Akira turned and looked at Kairi with a raised eyebrow.

"If I knew that, it wouldn't be missing, would it?" Akira sighed. "That fight was too easy."

"That's a problem?"

"She's tricking us."

"Kurane?"

"Mm-hm." They were silent for a minute.

"Do you know her?"

"I know she's a cow."

"Noooooooooooo, I mean… Before all this."

"You are really a night owl! Kairi, can we PLEASE GET SOME SLEEP TONIGHT?!"

* * *

Dawn broke over Nottingham castle, as Sir Hiss, trying his best to ignore the pounding headache in his skull, a remnant of being shoved in the ale barrel.

Oh, he hated those people.

"_He throws an angry tantrum if he cannot have his way!"_ The Sheriff's voice ran in from outside. _"He calls for mom, and sucks his thumb, and doesn't want to play!"_ At which point the Sheriff burst into the hall. _"Too late to be known as John the First, he's sure to be known as John the Worst!"_ The Sheriff laughed as he threw a bag of money onto the desk Hiss sat at. "How about that?"

"Oh, that's PJ to a T!" Sir Hiss tittered. "Let me try! Ho, he ho!" Sir Hiss cleared his throat. _"Too- Too late to be known as John the First, he's sure to be known as John the Wor—"_ Sir Hiss gulped as Prince John appeared in the doorway. "The fabulous… Chivalrous… Noble-"

"No, no, you've got it all wrong!" The Sheriff shook his head, oblivious to the Prince behind him. _"The snivelling weaselling-"_

"ENOUGH!!!" Prince John bellowed, throwing a bottle at the Sheriff's head, barely missing.

"But Sir," The Sheriff stuttered as wine dripped onto his head. "It's a big hit. The whole village is singing it."

"Oh they are, are they?" Prince John hissed, walking towards them. "Well, they'll be singing a different tune. Double the taxes!" Sir Hiss nodded. "TRIPLE THE TAXES!!!" Prince John started to throttle Sir Hiss. "SQUEZE EVERY LAST DROP, OUT OF THOSE MISERABLE… Uh, musical peasants."

* * *

The Village of Nottingham was caught in the heaviest downpour for many weeks. It was bitterly cold, and a different song had taken hold of the town.

"_Every town__  
__has its ups and downs.__  
__Sometimes ups__  
__outnumber the downs,__  
__but not in Nottingham.__  
__I'm inclined to believe__  
__if we weren't so down__  
__we'd up and leave.__  
__We'd up and fly__  
__if we had wings__  
__for flyin'.__  
__Can't you see the tears we're cryin'?_

_Can't there be__some happiness for me?__  
__Not in Nottingham."_

"Lovely weather, huh?" Akira muttered, stamping her feet. "For pity's sake Kairi, how much longer do we have to stay out here?"

"What's wrong with the rain?" Kairi asked, running across the street to check the latest tax hike.

"Nothing's wrong with rain, per say. It's just when it's accompanied by cold weather." Akira watched Kairi's face turn grim. "Well?"

"Quadrupled it." Kairi frowned. "Is he allowed to do that?"

"He's the King. He can do whatever the hell he wants." Akira sighed and watched her breath come out in a thick mist.

"Oh! Oh!" A tiny voice piped up. "Where's Robin Hood? Where's Robin Hood?" A church mouse ran up to the two girls. "I must speak to Robin Hood! It's an emergency! Friar Tuck has been arrested for high treason to the crown!"

* * *

Up in the castle's treasurer room, Prince John was sitting furiously in his throne, as Sir Hiss attempted to cheer up the Prince.

"Sire, if I may—May venture an opinion, you're not your usual cheerful, genial self today." Prince John remained in a stony silence. "I… I know! Why don't you count your money? It always makes you so happy…" Hiss jingled a few coins with his tail, without any response. "Ahem. Sire… Taxes are pouring in, the jails are full, and… Oh! I have good new sire! Friar Tuck is in jail!"

"FRIAR TUCK!?!?!?!?!?!?!?" Screamed Prince John, knocking a pile of gold over. "IT'S ROBIN HOOD I WANT YOU BLITERING IMBECILE!!!! OH, I'D GIVE AWAY ALL MY GOLD, IF I COULD JUST GET MY HANDS ON…" Prince John stopped. "Did you say Friar Tuck?"

"Did I?" Sir Hiss stuttered nervously. "Uh… Yes, I did."

"Ha!" Prince John chuckled happily. "Yes, I have it! I'll use that fat Friar as bait to trap Robin Hood."

"Another trap?" Sir Hiss grumbled, wondering how much worse this could become.

"Yes, yes you stupid serpent!" Prince John smiled, satisfied. "Friar Tuck will be led to the gallows in the village square, you see?"

"Hang Friar Tuck?" Sir Hiss stared at Prince John. "A man of the church?"

"Yes my reluctant reptile. And when our elusive hero's attempt to rescue the corpulent cleric… The heartless will be ready."

A bolt of thunder flashed across the sky as Prince John finalised his plan.

* * *

A woman walked along the dusty road, picking up her pace. A group of heartless appeared around. With a sigh, she pulled out her weapon.

"Would you mind just going away?" She wondered, as dark brown eyes scanned the surrounding heartless. "I've got to warn Squall!"

* * *

BANG! BANG BANG BANG!!

Robin Hood pulled his cloak tight around him, banging his sight stick around and shaking the empty cup as he walked over to where the scaffold was being built.

"Well Trigger," The Sheriff said, placing his hands on his hips. "Everything's rigged up and set."

"Yeah," The vulture Trigger nodded. "One of the prettiest scaffolds you ever built."

"Uh, shouldn't we give that trapdoor a test Sheriff?" Asked Nutsy, pulling the lever. The Sheriff was sent downwards into the hole underneath.

"Criminently. Now I know why your mother called you Nutsy." The Sheriff sighed.

"Alms. Alms for the poor." Robin Hood warbled, heading towards them. "Did my ears hear the melodious voice of the Sheriff."

"Ha ha! That's right old man!" The Sheriff guffawed, clearly pleased at having a fan. Robin Hood banged on the scaffolding with his stick.

"What be going on here?"

"We're gonna hang Friar Tuck." The Sheriff replied, fixing a rope.

"No, hang Fr-" Robin slipped out then back into character. "Hang Friar Tuck?"

"Yeah!" Nutsy laughed. "Might even be a double hanging-"

"Nutsy! Dummy up you dummy!" Snapped Trigger, glaring at the other vulture.

"A double hanging eh? Who be the other one that gets the rope."

"Sheriff," Trigger began to poke Robin with the bow and arrow, making him back up. "He's getting all too-fired nosey."

"I didn't mean nothing. Although... Couldn't there be trouble if Robin Hood showed up?" Robin phrased his question carefully.

"Ha ha! Whaddya know Sheriff, he guessed it!" Nutsy laughed happily, before Trigger grabbed his beak.

"Nutsy! Button your beak!" Hissed Trigger.

"Ah, no need to worry." Robin hastily added, getting the feeling things may start getting out of hand. "The Sheriff is too crafty, too clever and too smart for the likes of him, says I." The Sheriff burst into a massive grin.

"Ha ha! You hear that Nutsy! For a blind man, he sure knows a good man when he sees one, says I."

"Sheriff. I still think that stupid old codger knows to much." Trigger whispered, as Robin headed away from the scaffolding, towards the gate.

"Oh shut up Trigger." Sighed the Sheriff, reaching up and adjusting the rope. "He's just a harmless old beggar man." Trigger frowned, and watched Robin leave.

"Alms, alms for the poor." Robin called. "Alms, alms for the-"

"Psst!" Kairi hissed, beckoning Robin over to where Akira, Little John and herself stood in the shadows. Robin hobbled over, pulling off his disguise.

"We can't let them hang someone." Akira muttered. "It's a di-"

"Akira."

"Horrible move."

"A jailbreak tonight is the only chance he's got." Robin explained.

"A jailbreak?!" Little John stared at him. "There ain't no way-"

"We've got to. Otherwise Friar Tuck dies at dawn."

* * *

The group remained crouched behind a wall. Nutsy was patrolling the castle walls. As he headed towards the wall they were crouched behind, Little John stood up, and was ready to grab the vulture. But...

"ONE O'CLOCK, AND ALLS WELL!!!!!!" Screamed Nutsy at the top of his voice as distant bells began to chime. Kairi and Akira exchanged glances.

"This could take a while..." Muttered Kairi, fidgeting against the wall. Akira peeped over the wall.

"Just don't let him yell next time." Kairi looked at her. "You know, gag him."

"We don't have a gag."

"Use your hand then."

"Oh joy." Kairi sighed. "Vulture saliva. Lovely."

"Oh shut up and gag him with your hand."

"YOU do it."

"What are you, nuts? You do it." Akira muttered, digging her elbows into Kairi's ribs. By this point, Little John had already grabbed and tied up Nutsy. The two girls exchanged looks.

"Our awareness. We need to work on that." Kairi said to Akira as Robin pulled on his vulture disguise.

"Definitely." Akira agreed. Robin walked over to the approaching Sheriff and Trigger.

"Jehoshaphat Trigger, put that pea shooter down." He drawled. The Sheriff sighed.

"It's only Nutsy. And crimenetly, get back to your patrol!" He yelled at Trigger. "Go on, get!"

"Imma gettin', I'ma gettin'!" Trigger yelped, running off.

"That Trigger." The Sheriff muttered darkly, walking back to the jail entrance, followed by Robin. "He's getting everybody edgy. Nothing's gonna be happen. That fat friar will dangle from the gallows come daybreak." Robin turned and winked at the group. The group grinned, and remained ready. The sheriff sat down in his chair and leaned back.

"You just sit there sheriff, kinda cosy like." Robin drawled, eyeing up the keys to the jail on the sheriff's belt.

"Well thank you Nutsy." The sheriff muttered.

"Just close your sleepy little eyeballs. The sandman's a-coming. Er, why don't I loosen that belt?" He began to lean over to the belt, as the group tip-toed towards him. "Rock-a-bye Sheriff, just you relax."

"Hm, relax." Muttered the Sheriff in his apparent sleep. Robin Hood pulled the keys off the belt.

"Dump, di dum dum. Do, de doo do." He hummed, as he placed the keys in the lock. "De de de-"

SQEEEECK!!

The key made an awful screeching noise in the lock, causing everyone to freeze. The Sheriff shuffled slightly, and stirred awake.

"Aw, Nutsy that's mighty sweet. Sing it once more, would ya?"

"Rock-a-bye Sheriff, just you relax." He opened the door, and Little John and Akira slipped into the jail. "Pump, di pump pump." He gave the keys to Little John, who slammed the door shut.

SLAM!

"JAILBREAK!! JAILBREAK!!" Trigger screamed, as the safety on his bow failed, sending an arrow shooting around the courtyard. Kairi slammed her back against the wall. "I heard it Sheriff. The door! The door!" Robin Hood shoved an axe into Trigger's path, making him sprawl over the floor.

"For the last time, no more false alarms!" Yelled the Sheriff.

"You guys go release everyone, Robin and I will go and re-steal the money." Kairi said to the other two, before slipping back into the shadows.

"Looks like it's you and me Johnny boy." Akira said happily, before walking away.

"Jails are this way." There was a pause.

"I knew that." Akira walked past him. "Come on then. Friar Tuck and whatnot!" The two walked up the stairs. Little John stopped at a jail door, with an order of execution nailed onto the door. Quickly, he opened the door.

"Little John!" Akira heard the Friar exclaim. "It can't be!"

"Shush! We're busting out of here."

"Thank God. My prayers have been answered." Akira continued up the stairs, before a thought hit her.

_If Kairi had come, we could have just used the keyblade instead of stealing the keys._

".......D'OH!"

"Huh?"

"Uh, nothing."

* * *

Kairi scowled as she scaled the walls of the castle tower with Robin Hood, up to Prince John's room.

_Why did I do this again?_

_Because you wanted to prove yourself._ Naminé pointed out in her head. _You wanted to prove you could cope._

_Damn, I keep forgetting you're in there._

Kairi hitched her legs over the small wall around the balcony, and followed Robin Hood into the chamber.

Prince John was asleep along with Sir Hiss, they could tell as both of them we're snoring.

"ROBIN HOOD!" Yelled Prince John, making the two jump. "I'll get even." Prince John continued muttering. "I'll... get..."

Kairi grabbed a bag of gold as Robin Hood shot an arrow across the courtyard, which flew in through the jail window.

* * *

Akira ducked to avoid the arrow.

"Bloody vigilantes." She muttered, as the arrow slammed into the wall behind her. Little John pulled it out of the wall, looped the attached rope through a metal hoop, and fired it back.

* * *

"Eep." Kairi stepped to the side to avoid the arrow, as it flew into the wall behind her. Robin secured the rope, and picked up a bag of money.

"How much time have we got?" He asked, tying it to a rope. Kairi ran out onto the balcony and looked at the massive clock in the courtyard.

"45 minutes." Kairi grabbed a bag.

"It's Robin Hood... I want..."

* * *

"Ha ha ha!" Friar Tuck passed bags around to the other people of Nottingham. "Praise the Lord, and pass the tax rebate!"

"Come on. Follow me!"

As the group hurried down the stairs and towards the door, one of the bags on the line over head developed a split in it, and a few coins fell onto the sheriff, making him wake up.

"Hell." Akira muttered, opening the door, slamming her hand over the sheriff's mouth and dragging him inside. "Do something!" Instantly, Little John grabbed the sheriff's clothes, pulled them off him, changed into them, and ran out to sit on the chair. Akira raised a single eyebrow, and pushed the sheriff into a nearby cell. From her position, she could see Trigger walk towards Little John.

"Sheriff, now don't get your dander up, but I still got a feeling that-" Trigger was interrupted by Little John raising his cap, smiling, and grabbing the vulture around the throat.

"Friar! Get going, hurry!" Little John ordered, as the group hurried out. Friar kept an eye on the patrolling soldiers, as they hurried over to the drawbridge.

* * *

Up in the tower, the massive clock chimed four. Robin Hood's eyes widened, and Kairi tied the last bag onto the rope. Robin then held his hand up to stop her, as he caught a glimpse of a money bag, which Prince John was cuddling like a teddy bear.

Calmly, he tip-toed over to Prince John, and gently dragged the bag out of his grip.

"Neh! Neh!" Prince John then started sucking his thumb in his sleep.

_........ I cannot think of any words that can summarise just how pathetic this is._

Robin ran towards the rope and grabbed it, as did Kairi.

Sir Hiss had woken up, and seeing the duo trying to escape, did what only a snake can do.

He bit into one of the money bags, while simultaneously wrapping his tail around Prince John's foot as an anchor.

"WHOA!!" Kairi yelled. "That didn't quite work."

**_"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"_** The Prince screamed, as Sir Hiss, himself, and his bed were dragged across his bed-room. The bed then went out onto the balcony, where it looked as if it were about to fall off.

Back in the jail, the citizens of Nottingham pulled harder on the rope.

"Guards! Guards!" Yelled Prince John, who was now holding onto his bed for dear life. "My gold!"

The archers then started firing arrows at Robin and Kairi, who started climbing along the rope back towards the jail.

Prince John lost his grip on the bed, and sent the two hero's whizzing back into the jail. Prince John himself fell down, and landed without injury on the concrete floor of the castle. Then, he saw all the citizen's of Nottingham running out of his jail carrying money bags.

"Oh no no no no no no!" He moaned. "They're getting away with my gold!" He ran and shut the jail door just as the last rabbit escaped. "Guards! Heartless! To the jail!" At which several guards and quite a few lance heartless charged towards the jail. Prince John then worked out that they were going to charge him. "Guards, halt! Stop! Desist!" But they didn't. They charged Prince John, leaving him pinned to the jail door that had come off its hinges, and they still kept running.

"Everybody this way!" Yelled Robin Hood, and everyone went that way.

Several soldier heartless appeared, causing Kairi to summon her keyblade. Quickly she slashed through them, while keeping close to two young rabbits.

"Stop shooting arrows," Akira bellowed at the guards, who were shooting arrows at everyone. "'Cause I'll shoot back!"

_Oh Lord._

Kairi and Akira busied themselves getting rid of the heartless that were in the way, as Robin Hood ran over to open the drawbridge, and Little John with Friar Tuck's help loaded up the cart they had found with the citizens.

"That's all of them get going!" Robin yelled.

"This ain't no hay-ride, let's move it out of here. WHOA!!" Little John whooped, pulling the cart out of the castle.

"On to Sherwood Forest!" Friar Tuck yelled, as a feeling of horror spread over one of the passengers.

"Stop! My baby!" She yelled.

"Mama, mama, wait for me!" The baby rabbit yelled. Robin Hood ran back to pick up the baby as Kairi and Akira defended it.

"How do you forget a BABY!?" Akira asked, causing Kairi to shrug.

"Riku once left his baby sister on the bus."

"You have to tell me that story at some point." Akira said, as Robin Hood picked up the baby, and the four ran towards the drawbridge.

"Yeah, but not right now." However, a crocodile cut the rope, sending the drawbridge crashing down. "Oh."

Robin Hood pushed the baby through the bars, into Little John's awaiting arms.

"We got him now!" The Sheriff yelled, obviously having broken out of the jail cell, wearing nothing but undergarments, which looked like a sleep suits that babies wear.

"Keep going, don't worry about us!" Robin told Little John.

"RHINO'S AT TWO O'CLOCK!!" Akira yelled, causing Kairi to lose some of her hearing in her left ear.

"What?"

"Behind us." She gestured, to where a group of Rhino's were charging towards them.

Quickly, the group clambered up the gate. Robin grabbed a nearby rope and swung, kicking the sheriff in the stomach and grabbing hold of a nearby wall. Kairi caught the rope as it swung back towards her, snatched Akira's hand, and they too swung towards the wall, avoiding several spears flying their way. One of these got stuck in the wall, letting the trio climb up onto a small walkway. Two archers fired at them, one from each end of the archway. The group ducked, and the arrows ended up pinning each archer to the wall.

The group then jumped onto another, lower wall, Robin nearly lost his balance, before they climbed back up to Prince John's bedroom.

They ran in, and Robin pulled they drapes that separated each section of the quarters, just as the Sheriff appeared, brandishing a flaming torch.

"(BEEP)!" Akira yelled, as the trio ducked. Akira ran to the left, Kairi dodged to the right, and Robin Hood leapt over the sheriff, who had set alight to the drapes. They all ran back through the burning drapes.

Kairi re-summoned her keyblade, and hit the sheriff with it. Akira tried to knock the torch out of his hand with her sword, and Robin Hood tried fending him off with-

_Is he using a wooden chair to defend himself from a burning torch?!_

By now most of the tower was in flames, so Robin pulled the rug from under the sheriff's feet, and Akira and Kairi hit him with their weapons, before they ran back through the burning curtains. The curtains were rapidly engulfed in flames, stopping the sheriff from following them.

The group ran up the stairs, evading any flames, and ended up climbing up onto the roof of the tower. But still the flames kept coming.

"Shoot them!" Prince John was beside himself with rage. "SHOOT THEM!!"

_Kairi!_

_**What?**_

_Jump!_

_**What? Are you crazy?!**_

_Jump into the moat!_

"Jump into the moat!" Kairi relayed. "Wait. Can you guys swim-?"

"Kairi, Robin's already jumped."

"Oh." And with that, the two girls leapt into the freezing cold moat water, with Prince John's screams of 'Kill them!' echoing in their ears.

* * *

Luckily, Kairi grew up on the islands, and was a member of the girls blitzball team, so she could hold her breath for ages.

Akira couldn't hold her breath for quite as long, but she managed, without a reed, unlike Robin Hood.

The two girls surfaced just after Robin Hood, watching from a distance as Skippy and Robin declared a pox on the phoney King of England.

"Kairi?"

"Yeah?"

"What is a pox?"

"I have no idea whatsoever." Kairi was quite for a moment. "I presume it's like chickenpox."

"Yeah. Or smallpox. Or cowpox. Or-"

"Enough examples."

"Okay." There was silence for a moment. "We better get going."

"You're leaving?" Robin Hood asked, overhearing their conversation. Kairi nodded.

"Yeah. Got to keep ahead." Robin Hood frowned slightly.

"Ahead of what?"

"Uh..." Kairi glanced at Akira.

"... Heartless." Akira said after a second. "Nasty little things. Don't like us much either."

"Mm." Robin clearly didn't believe them. "Well then, good luck on your escape from those heartless."

"And good luck on your marriage with Maid Marian!" Kairi smiled happily, as Akira started walking off. "Hey, get back here!"

"I thought we were leaving."

"Say goodbye first."

"Bye!" Kairi face-palmed.

"Goodbye." She smiled weakly at Robin Hood, before running off after Akira. "That was rude."

"Was it?"

"Yes! Obviously it was!" Akira seemed surprised by this.

"Oh. Whoops. Let's go then!"

* * *

_This isn't working Sora._

"This isn't working YET." Sora corrected his nobody. "It'll work soon."

_Soon in people terms, or soon in evolution terms?_

Sora was quiet for a second.

"Yes." Sora said.

_But-_

"I am not willing to discuss the matter any further!"

* * *

The woman sighed out heavily, her breath coming out in a fine mist. The road was deadly silent. She started off down the road, her ears listening intently for any noises.

Rinoa Heartly was a hunted woman.

* * *

**SW: Yes, Rinoa will be in this story. And she'll be bringing someone else from Final Fantasy VIII with her.**

**Cloud: (Sitting on Sephiroth until he calms down) Why isn't Leon here?**

**SW: ...... Dunno. Anyway, in chapter three I put up a list of worlds that I was going to write. Well, I've made some changes, so now the list is:**

**Pocahontas (I need a name for this world)  
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Land of Garagoles)  
Cinderella (Castle of dreams)  
Snow White (I need a name for this one too!)  
Atlantica.  
The Emporers New Groove (Kuzcotopia)  
Narnia (Not technically Disney, but they've made films of it!)**

**The changes have been made for reasons that shall remain a mystery for the moment.**

**Sephiroth: (Coming around from sugar high) What the... WHY IS CLOUD STRIFE SITTING ON ME?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?**

**SW: He's back ladies and genetlemen!**


	10. On to Atlantica!

**SW: Hi guys, thanks for the reviews! I'm sorry I've been away for so long, but I had this weird depression thing, where I just could not write for this story. I'm sorry, but hopefully, things should be back to normal soon. Also, we are not coming to you from my living room, we're coming from my bedroom! Yeah, my parents finally brought me a new computer! **

**Yuffie: They already are back to normal. Sephiroth and Cloud are fighting in your bathroom right now.**

**SW: .................. What?!**

**Yuffie. SEPHIROTH AND CLOUD ARE FIGHTING IN YOUR BATHROOM!**

**SW: SEPHIROTH!!!! CLOUD!!!!!!! IF ANYTHING IS BROKEN WHEN I GET OVER THERE, I WILL HAVE BOTH OF YOUR (BUMS) ON A SILVER PLATTER!!!!!**

**Sora: Should we start the chapter?**

**SW: Yeah, why no- **

**(Crashes are heard down the hall)**

**SW: WHAT DID I SAY!?!?!?!?!?!?!? (Runs to bathroom)**

**Riku: Lets start.**

**SW: Oh my... HOW THE HELL DID YOU BREAK THE SHOWER?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!**

* * *

"Did it really not occur to you that you were being rude?"

"Nope. Should it?"

"Yes!" Kairi sighed. "I may not know a lot about science and maths, but I do know about manners!"

"To be fair, I don't know a lot about maths either." Akira shrugged. "Sorry. I don't mean to be rude, it's just that sometimes it looks like I am."

"Why?"

"Because I'm just being blunt, which can be misinterpreted as rude."

"No, you're just being rude."

"Blunt."

"Rude."

"Blunter than a blunt thing. Where are we going next?" Akira asked. Kairi was quiet for a moment.

"Maybe a world we've heard about." Kairi thought. "What about Atlantica?"

"I don't know much about that. Is that the one with all the water?"

"Yeah."

"Ugh. I've already had to go swimming once today."

"So? It'll be good practise."

"Ugh."

"Will you stop saying that?"

"Okay. BLURGH!!!"

"STOP THAT!"

* * *

Riku was flopped on the floor when Maleficent entered. He raised his head and glared at the witch.

"What do you want?"

"Now that isn't very polite, is it?" Asked Maleficent, chuckling as if she knew some great joke. "I just thought I should let you know that Kairi and that other girl are looking for you. It is a pity," She continued. "That after all their hard work they will fail."

"What other girl?" Riku asked, frowning. "Naminé?"

"Does it matter?" Maleficent stated. "All that matters is that once Kurane is dispatched of, I will be free to take the worlds!"

"Kurane?" Riku wrinkled his face in confusion. "Who's Kurane?"

"Kurane is the person who abducted you and the keyblade master." Maleficent sighed. "But that is beside the point. The point is that you, Riku, could be by my side, ruler of the worlds-"

"NO!" Riku stood up and summoned Way to the Dawn. "I've told you, I'm not like that anymore!"

"You use the darkness when it suits you, and yet you refuse to admit that you ARE part of this realm Riku, whether you like it or not. You might as well accept the darkness fully, and gain your true powers."

"I said no." Riku stepped back into a fighting stance. "Nothing you can do or say will change my mind."

"Your heart is already tainted-"

"Tainted, not engulfed! I'm never giving into the darkness again!" Maleficent looked at Riku, before turning and leaving.

* * *

"See, this isn't so bad!" Kairi smiled happily, swimming in a circle. She looked down at her tail, pale pink with brighter pink fins. She was wearing a pink shell top, and was wondering how she could tie back her hair to get it out of her eyes when she was swimming.

"Speak for yourself!" Akira yelped, swimming into a wall for the fourth time in the three minutes since they had landed. Her tail was a vivid orange with red fins. Her top was a plain white crop top, which now had a few marks on it from her collisions with walls. "Why are there walls under the ocean?"

"It's not a wall, it's a sea-bed."

"Same thing."

* * *

"Look!" A figure swam up and inspected her cauldron. "It's them! They're here!" She laughed madly. "And now I can finally avenge poor dear Ursula." She pouted. "UNDERTOW!!!" A tiny shark swam in.

"Yes?"

"Where is my spell book! I need to make a storm! The biggest storm Atlantica has ever seen! One that will get rid of them forever!"

* * *

"See?" Kairi grinned, watching Akira manage to avoid swimming into a coral reef. "You're getting the hang of it now."

"Guess so." Akira frowned. "I still don't like these fins."

"Well they come with the package. You need the fins to swim." Kairi pointed out.

"Mm." Akira was quiet for a moment. "Although-"

"No. No although. Ever." Kairi said, before rubbing her forehead.

"You okay."

"Just got a headache. Strange, I only get headaches when there's thunder coming..." Kairi's voice trailed off as she looked upwards. In the sky above the ocean, dark clouds were gathering. "Oh."

"... Well isn't that wizard?" Akira said sarcastically, just before a massive boom of thunder echoed across the sky. The sea instantly because incredibly choppy, and what looked like a whirlpool began to form in the middle of the ocean.

And it was drawing Kairi and Akira in...

* * *

"Oh drat and blast!" Morgana crossed her arms. "The storm is nowhere NEAR strong enough!"

"Well, you might have been able to make it strong enough, if you hadn't used the last of Ursula's magic on the shrimp." Undertow shot back. Morgana glared at him.

"You're pushing it, small fry." The caldron started to glow again. Morgana headed towards them. "It's split them up! Miss Sweetness and light is by Atlantica!"

"What about the loud one?" Undertow asked, as Morgana suddenly shushed him.

"She's not far from here, so be quiet."

* * *

"Ow." Akira shivered slightly. "Well, this is chilly." She looked around. "Kairi? Kairi!?"

"Huh?" A young mermaid swam up to her. "Wow! Another mermaid! I can't believe this!" The girl giggled.

"Hi." Akira glanced around again. "I'm looking for a friend of mine. Her name's Kairi. She can't be hard to miss, she's got a pink tail, have you seen her?"

"Nope, sorry." The girl shook her head. "You're the first mermaid I've seen. Hey!" She smiled as an idea came into her head. "I need to go on a journey, why don't you come with me? We can look for your friend on the way."

"Where are you going?"

"Atlantica." She smiled. "I need to take someone's trident back to them. Then they can make me a mermaid for good-" The girl stopped and slammed her hand over her mouth. "Oops."

"You're not really a mermaid?" Akira asked. The girl sighed and shook her head. "It's okay. Want to know a secret?" She paused before nodding. "I'm not either." Both girls grinned.

"Will you help me? I promise, I'll help look for your friend."

"Okay, sure. I have some experience with re-stealing things." Akira shrugged. "I'm Akira."

"And I'm Melody." Melody turned to swim. "Come on! I've managed to arrange a lift on a whale!"

"Seriously? On a whale?" Melody nodded. Akira burst into a grin so wide it looked like her face would split. "AWESOME!"

* * *

"Akira?" Kairi yelled, swimming around. "AKIRA?!"

"Melody?" Another mermaid swam around the corner. "Oh, hello."

"Excuse me, but you haven't seen a mermaid around here, have you?" Kairi asked. "Her name's Akira. Black curly hair, green eyes, pretty loud, kind of annoying?" The mermaid shook her hair.

"No, sorry. I'm looking for someone too. She's my daughter. Her name's Melody, black hair, green eyes?" Kairi shook her head, before frowning.

"Your name's not Arial, is it?"

"Yes, it is." The mermaid smiled, and Kairi started laughing. "Why?"

"I'm a friend of Sora's." At which Arial burst into a smile.

"Wow! That's brilliant! So, you must be from another world too!"

"Uh-huh." Kairi nodded.

"Would you help me look for Melody? I really need to find her, before the sea-witch does!"

"..... I thought she was dead."

"No child!" A crab swam up to Kairi. "It's Ursula's crazy sister! Morgana!"

"That's not good." Kairi said. She bit her lip and sighed. "Okay, I'll help. It's what Sora would have wanted."

* * *

"Let's see..." Melody and Akira studied the map intently. "OK, Atlantica is this way." Melody pointed at the etched out Atlantica on the map made of ice. "So we need to go south, right?"

"Think so." Akira frowned. "I mean, we are in the Arctic. There aren't really many other directions we could go."

"Mm." The whale jiggled a bit. "Is he o-"

"ACHOO!!!" The whale sneezed, sending a powerful gush of water out of his spout, sending both girls flying into the air.

"WHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!" Both of them yelled, before slamming hard onto the ice.

Crack!

Both girls raised their heads in time to see the map land on the ice and shatter.

"The map," Melody sighed, picking up a piece. "It's ruined."

"Now how are we going to get to Atlantica?"

"Ha ta da da daaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Yelled a voice behind the duo, causing both girls to jump. "Damsels in distress?" A penguin appeared from behind a block of ice. "Mightier than a hurricane! Braver than a killer whale! Faster than a moray eel! It's the fearless adventurers-"

"Slash explorers!" Added a walrus, also appearing from behind the ice.

"Titanic Tip, and his mighty side-kick Dash!" Tip announced, beaming happily. The two girls exchanged looks.

"What do you think?" Melody whispered.

"I think if I were Dash, I'd sit on Tip for calling me a side-kick." Akira muttered under her breath, before raising her voice. "I'm Akira, and this is Melody."

"Do you think you could tell us the way to Atlantica?" Melody asked, causing the two adventurers slash explorers exchanged looks.

"Why do you want to get to Atlantica?" Dash asked.

"I..." Melody paused, looking at Akira, who shrugged. "Have to get something back that was stolen from a friend. If I don't, I'll turn back into..."

"Turn back into what?"

"A human."

"Ah!" Tip gave a massive gasp. "I knew there was something un-fishy about you! Tough break sisters! Give us a line, let us know how it all turns out."

"We'll take you." Dash said.

"You will?" Melody asked.

"We will?" Tip asked.

"They're damsels in distress. It's our chance!"

"Stop calling us damsels!" Akira added. Tip sighed.

"Oh boy. I can't believe I'm doing this, somebody stop me!" Nobody did. "Alright, we're in! ON TO ATLANTICA!!"

* * *

"I haven't heard anything." Kairi sighed. "Have you?"

"No," Arial shook her head. "I've been looking everywhere, but – Flounder!" Arial was distracted by a fish swimming nearby. She swam over and hugged it.

"DAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDYYYYYYYYY!!!!!" It yelled, wriggling out of Arial's grasp and swimming away fast.

"Now what?" An older, bigger fish appeared from behind the rock the fish had swam behind.

"Sorry." Said Arial, sadly.

"Arial!?" The big fish said.

"Flounder!?" Arial asked, swimming towards him.

"Arial!"

"Oh, I've missed you!"

"I've missed something." Kairi muttered, smiling slightly.

"Boy, you're sure not a guppy any more!"

"Yeah-" At which point, another small fish came swimming by, followed by four others.

"Children," Flounder warned. "What did I say about playing kick the crab on the reef?"

"Sorry dad." Muttered one.

"Heh heh. Kids!" Flounder grinned. This comment managed to plunge Arial into a pit of depression. "I'm sorry about Melody."

"Flounder," Arial sighed. "I really need your help right now."

"Wild sea-horses wouldn't stop me." The group swam off.

Less than ten seconds later, Melody, Akira, Tip and Dash swam past where they had been standing.

"What does it look like anyway?" Akira asked, as the group swam towards Atlantica.

"A giant fork."

"A giant fork?" Akira raised an eyebrow. Melody nodded. "How big is her china cabinet?"

"I don't know." Melody shrugged, as they swam towards one of the entrances into Atlantica. "All I know is that it's really powerful."

They swam into Atlantica, and down a long corridor. A large golden throne stood in the centre of the room, with mermen attending to what looked like a table on one side of the room.

"Nice crib." Tip whispered, before the group hid behind a large stone statue. The mermen swam away.

"Follow me." Whispered Melody, swimming over to the table and ducking underneath the tablecloth, followed by Tip, Dash, and Akira. They peeked out from underneath the cloth, as an elderly merman entered, downtrodden.

"That must be him." Melody whispered, before frowning. "He looks sad."

"Doesn't look like much of a thief to me." Akira added.

"They never do." Tip hissed.

"So you know a lot of thieves, do you?"

"There it is!" Melody whispered. Next to the throne was a stand, where a massive golden fork like thing sat. Akira frowned.

_THINK Akira. You've seen something like this before... THINK!!_

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Your face is all screwed u-" Melody started to point out, interrupted by a roar from the elderly merman.

"WE HAVEN'T TIME FOR THIS!!!" He bellowed, pointing at the table. "I WANT EVERY AVALIBLE MERMAN SEARCHING!! FIND HER!! _**FIND HER!!!**_"

_Talk about male PMS!_

"King Triton?" A slightly worried merman piped up. "Your daughter is here to see you." King Triton sighed and swam off.

"Now's our chance!" Akira hissed, as she and Melody swam over to the trident. "Quick, get it!" Melody reached out and grabbed the trident.

"Swim, swim away!" Tip hissed. The group swam out, but in the hurry, Melody dropped her necklace.

"Oh!" She spun around.

"No time!" Dash whispered. Akira grimaced and grabbed Melody's arm.

"We can come back and get it later! Now swim!"

* * *

Kairi swam into the throne room, semi paying attention to Arial and King Triton's conversation. At the moment, she was considering her situation with Naminé.

_You've lost Akira. This is bad for two reasons. One, you need two people to fly the gummi ship. And two, she knew some stuff about Sora._

_**I am aware of that. Do you think she's oka-**_

"The trident!" Triton yelled, making Kairi jump. "It's gone!"

"... Are you sure you didn't just leave it down somewhere?" Kairi asked, before mentally slapping herself.

"Of course I didn't!"

"Melody's necklace." Arial suddenly said, picking up a golden pendent. "Only the kin of the King of the Seas could remove the trident from its rightful place."

The group was interrupted by a hissing noise. Kairi spun around to see to hammerhead sharks heading towards them.

"Oh heck..." Kairi muttered, summoning her keyblade and charging towards them.

One shark opened his mouth to bite Kairi, so she swam back slightly and hit it as it swam past. The second one swam behind her, so Arial hit it with her tail.

_**Can I drive underwater?**_

_Don't think so._

"Gr..." Kairi scowled, and hit the first shark as hard as she could. It swam away, followed by the second one.

"Good." Arial smiled. Kairi's eyes widened as a group of heartless surrounded her and Arial.

"Oh..." Kairi slashed into one, and avoided the attack of another. "It's harder to fight underwater." She observed, as Arial hit two more heartless, which dissolved into darkness. Kairi slashed into one other, dodged, and then finished it off. Arial kicked the final heartless into oblivion.

"Heartless yet again?" Trition growled. "Why do they follow those infernal keys?"

"Hey!" Kairi scowled. "This isn't exactly a bundle of giggles, having a keyblade, it's a curse! It's not like we're wandering the worlds, 'Oh, let's go to a world and make lots of heartless appear there!'" There was a long silence, as Arial raised a single eyebrow. "Sorry." Kairi winced.

"We need to find Melody now, we're running out of time." Trition said, before swimming out of the palace.

Kairi raised her eyes to the ceiling.

**_Am I doing the right thing? Shouldn't I be focusing on looking for Sora? But Sora would help them... Oh, I don't know what to do!_**

**_

* * *

_**

Aerith: Where are Cloud and Sephiroth?

SW: In a world of pain.

SW: I hate this chapter, I think it's terrible. I've never been so ashamed of somthing I've written. But I also cannot think of any way to improve it.

**Tifa: Namely...?**

**SW: Airing cupboard. Anyway, I have found a brilliant song, it matches this story perfectly! It's written for Final Fantasy IX, but it also works for this! Here it is:** .com/watch?v=qmbgCBZ86z4

**Kairi: That song belongs to katethegreat19. Not SunflowerWielder.**

**SW: As Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy and Disney belong to Square Enix and Disney. I only own Kurane and Akira. That is all. Peace out, dudes and dudettes!**

**Aerith: Cloud and Sephiroth have broken out of the airing cupboard, and have that 'I'm going to kill someone' look.**

**SW: ............................................................................................ Damn it!**


End file.
